LGBT Group Rebukes Okla. Rep. for Saying Gays Are 'Death Knell' for U.S.
Compiled by the DiversityInc staff. Date Posted: March 12, 2008
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund Rebukes Okla. Rep Sally Kern
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, the nation's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) political-action committee, sent an open letter today to Oklahoma Rep. Sally Kern in response to her anti-gay remarks. Speaking to a group of approximately 50 people at an Oklahoma county Republican club, Kern went into a diatribe about LGBT people. Read Legislator Claims Gays Are Bigger Threat Than Terrorists to learn more. To watch a video with the audio of Kern's complete comments, click here.
In response, The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund put a face to the lives ended by anti-gay violence: "The point is this: your words have consequences. Ask Judy Shepherd - her son, Matthew, was viciously murdered ten years ago by people who think like you. Ask the parents of Lawrence King, an openly gay eighth-grader who was gunned down in school last month by a classmate whose fear was stoked by words like yours. Just this past fall, Steven Domer, a 62-year-old gay man was brutally murdered right in your home state of Oklahoma. … Your words give aid and comfort to those who would hurt, maim and even kill people who are different from you. Comparing gays and lesbians to cancer and terrorism and saying they are the "biggest threat to America," gives license to others to treat us that way, especially given the leadership position you hold in your community." Hate groups in America are surging, according to a new Southern Poverty Law Center report. Are you at risk?
Janet Jackson, Ashanti, Portia di Rossi Featured in Anti-Hate Ad
"Imagine if wearing makeup or a dress could get you killed. For 15-year-old Lawrence King, that's just what happened," says actress Portia di Rossi in the beginning of a new anti-hate public-service announcement (PSA) aiming to stop anti-gay violence, reports Truthdig.com. Also appearing in the 60-second PSA are Janet Jackson, Outkast's Andre 3000 and "Grey's Anatomy" star T.R. Knight. The celebrities are hoping that their words will raise awareness about discrimination and violence against LGBT teenagers. "If you think gay teens like Lawrence King are safe in our schools, you're wrong," says Knight, and the PSA ends with Jackson adding that "None of us are safe until all of us are safe." Read about the Justice Department's civil-rights laxity.
Mississippi Splits Along Racial Lines
In Tuesday's primary, Mississippi voters were the most racially polarized group to date to decide the eventual Democratic presidential candidate. Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have typically received lopsided numbers of Black and white votes, respectively, but in Mississippi, nine in 10 Blacks backed Obama while seven in 10 whites backed Clinton, reports The Associated Press. Only in Alabama and Arkansas did Clinton receive votes from more than seven in 10 white voters. As for how much each candidate's race factored into voters' decisions, four in 10 Blacks said race was important in choosing their candidate, and of that group, nine in 10 supported Obama. Among white voters, a quarter said race was an important factor in deciding their vote, and among that group, nine in 10 voted for Clinton. Among whites, both men and women voted heavily for Clinton. In past contests, she's consistently dominated among white women, but she has split with Obama the support of white men about equally overall, reports The Associated Press. Read more about Election '08.
Women in Finance Industry Paid Less Than Men
A survey by the New York--based Financial Women's Association of its 259 members indicates that women say they are paid less than men for comparable work. Ninety-six percent of the Financial Women's Association (FWA)'s members said women are paid less than men and nearly two-thirds consider their gender a factor that holds them back in their careers, reports Workforce.com. Women surveyed faulted a lack of access to decision makers, mentors or types of assignments critical for career advancement for women earning less. Lack of access was also cited by women entrepreneurs, who reported they had limited access to the funding sources needed to start a business. "The FWA study indicates that women in finance-related careers continue to find themselves hindered in their treatment as equal partners in the workplace," Lily Klebanoff Blake, president of FWA, told Workforce.com. Read why Black women aren't getting promoted.
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