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 Friday, July 11th. I’m Cuc Vu.
And I’m Jason Boeckman. First up, news on Senator Edward Kennedy.
On Wednesday, civil rights champion Senator Edward Kennedy made his first appearance in Congress since being diagnosed with brain cancer to vote on a Medicare bill. Kennedy was greeted by colleagues with a lengthy standing ovation on the Senate floor. HRC is pleased to hear that Senator Kennedy is doing well in treatment and we wish him continued health.
It was announced yesterday that Governor David A. Paterson would sign a major expansion of New York State’s domestic violence law that would allow for people in gay or straight relationships to seek protection from abusers in family court. Currently, New York’s domestic violence laws only allow for civil protection orders against spouses or former spouses, blood relations, or the other parent of an abused person’s child. Advocacy groups say the law has kept teenagers and GLBT men and women from seeking protection.
While speaking of his support for Senator John McCain during a CNN interview, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney said that the timing isn't right to repeal the military's “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Romney claims that conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan render it an inopportune time for a major change in policy. Earlier this week, four retired military officers called for the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, suggesting that openly gay service personnel are unlikely to disrupt military operations or lower morale among servicemembers.
The Massachusetts state legislature is set to take up a bill to repeal a 1913 law that prevents non-resident same-sex couples from marrying in the state. Democratic Senator Dianne Wilkerson says it is likely to happen before the close of the legislative session at the end of July. Governor Deval Patrick, whose daughter is a lesbian, has long supported repealing the law and says he looks forward to signing the repeal bill should it reach his desk.
A second fundraising event will be hosted today by the newly-formed Transgender Emergency Fund, a group created to provide monetary relief to low income transgender people of central Massachusetts. The event is titled “Freedom” and it is hoped that two thousand five hundred dollars will be raised to assist transgender people in need.
A Hungarian court ruled Wednesday that the act of protesters throwing eggs at participants in the Budapest Pride March is protected by free speech. Some protestors received minor fines for disobeying a police order to disperse, however. The situation in Hungary follows the release of a report by the European Union, which finds that a third of its states are failing to ensure equal rights for gays and lesbians.
That’s the news from us today. Thanks for tuning in to Equally Speaking.
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