Gay USA, May 24-30; June 3

June 3, 2011
Happy LGBT Pride Month! Lots to report on THIS week's show, but first a note on NEXT week's show. Ann and I will be taking a week off and marking the 25th anniversary of the passage of the NYC lesbian and gay rights bill by screening a documentary on the subject, "Rights and Reactions: Lesbian and Gay Rights on Trial" by the late Phil Zwickler and the very much alive Jane Lippman. The film looks at the battle over the bill in 1986, fifteen years after it was introduced as the first piece of legislation proposing to ban discrimination based on "sexual orientation." In the midst of the early years of the AIDS crisis, the bill finally passed. BREAKING: After we taped on Tuesday, Illinois issued its first civil union licenses this morning, launching a historic day for same-sex couples across the state. Janean Watkins and Lakeesha Harris camped overnight outside the Daley Center to be the first in line in Cook County when the state's new civil unions law kicked in. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune). For video: http://www.chicagotribune.com/videobeta/?watchId=47306024-9d6b-425e-a00a.... A new Gallup poll found that a majority of Americans thinks that 25% of their fellow Americans are gay or lesbian. A Texas court voids the marriage of a transgendered woman whose husband died fighting a fire. The federal government issues new guidelines to help protect transgendered employees. In Tennessee, activists fight back against the new law there banning local LGBT rights laws. For more information, go to www.tnep.org. A marriage equality supporting Democrat wins a special election for Congress in upstate New York in one of the most Republican districts in the country. NY's Mayor Bloomberg gives a speech supporting marriage equality, but refuses to stop donating big bucks to the anti-gay Republicans who are holding it up. For updates on the campaign for the marriage equality bill in New York, go to: www.prideagenda.org. The Human Rights Campaign makes an early endorsement of Barack Obama for re-election. A gay boy in Maine is elected prom queen at his small town HS and his boyfriend king. We'll have a video news report. It's the 30th anniversary of the date the Centers for Disease Control first published an article about a mysterious new illness that turned out to be AIDS. Hank Plante, an out gay veteran reporter who covered AIDS from the beginning, returns to KCBS for a series of reports on the epidemic. You can see the first installment at: http://www.lgbtpov.com/2011/05/aids-at-30-hank-plante-on-the-early-days-...



May 24-30, 2011
IN THE NEWS ON GAY USA THIS WEEK: Tennessee bans laws protecting LGBT rights and its Senate passes a bill prohibiting even talking about gay subjects below the ninth grade. We'll show you a clever response from actor and activist George Takei. To learn more about the fight in Tennessee, go www.tnep.org. Nevada passes protections for people of transgender experience and the Republican governor has signed the bills.  Minnesotans will have to vote on a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in 2012. Go to www.outfront.org for more info.  Rhode Island passes a civil unions bill, but an LGBT legal group condemns it.  A bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act now has 23 sponsors in the US Senate. We will show you a statement of support from Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico.  The Gallup Poll finds majority support for same-sex marriage for the first time, joining other national polls. The New York Times names an openly gay op-ed columnist for the first time.  Another anti-gay slur from an NBA basketball player, but veteran star Charles Barkley sticks up for us.  Lisa Lampannelli donates $50,000 to GMHC-a thousand for every member of the Westboro Baptist Church who protested her appearance in Topeka.  Andy reviews Broadway's "Baby It's You" about the Shirelles and the Jewish housewife from New Jersey who became their manager.  The Broadway revival of Larry Kramer's 1985 AIDS drama, "The Normal Heart," picks up three big Drama Desk Awards.