Equally Speaking
The following is a transcript of HRC’s morning news webcast "Equally Speaking." To view the current videos visit the main Equally Speaking page.
Good morning and thanks for tuning in to Equally Speaking, your morning dose of GLBT news from the Human Rights Campaign for Thursday, April 3rd. I’m Tommy Lodge.
And I’m Sarah Birnie. First up, news from Arizona.
A panel in Arizona has approved a plan to provide health coverage for the domestic partners of state employees and retirees. Dependents of domestic partners also will qualify. Employees will be able to sign up for benefits as of October first. In 2006, Arizona voters made their state the only one that year to defeat a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. At least 15 other states already provide domestic partner benefits.
The organization collecting signatures for a proposed amendment banning same-sex marriage in California says it is close to meeting the requirement. Protect Marriage says it has collected more than 880 thousand of the 1.1 million signatures needed. The Human Rights Campaign has had staff on the ground in California working with the Equality for All campaign to defeat efforts to ban same-sex marriage since February.
A commonly used AIDS drug appears to nearly double the risk of a heart attack, researchers say. In a study published online by the medical journal Lancet, the researchers also said another less frequently used AIDS drug increased the chances of a heart attack by 50 percent. Experts said doctors should be aware of the increased risks, but they did not recommend that patients abandon the two drugs.
The Wichita, Kansas, school board may consider adding sexual orientation to the district's anti-discrimination policy. The decision follows months of lobbying from student groups and comes in the wake of a district high school student being cleared of harassment charges, which the student claims were only brought against him because he is gay. Jimmy Iniguez faced expulsion for allegedly harassing a fellow student in a school bathroom.
The government of Ireland is finalizing legislation on civil partnerships that will extend many of the same benefits and legal obligations of marriage to same-sex couples. However, it will not provide any right for same-sex couples to be considered as joint adoptive parents, despite a strong campaign by pro-equality groups. Under the new law, same-sex partners will gain rights in areas such as property, pensions, and taxation.
Greek authorities are considering a law that would allow same-sex couples to be recognized by a civil ceremony. The Greek Justice Ministry pledged to establish a working group on the rights of same-sex couples living together. The decision faces strong opposition in Greece, where a 2006 survey showed that just 16 percent support same-sex marriage and only 11 percent believe same-sex couples should have the right to adopt.
That’s the news from us today. Thanks for tuning in to Equally Speaking.
Have a great day and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow morning.