2/19/2012 This Way Out

Program 1,246

Hosted this week by Greg Gordon and produced with Lucia Chappelle

"NewsWrap": Marriage equality becomes a reality in the U.S. state of Washington, but opponents vow a November ballot box challenge, while matrimonial equity advances in Illinois, New Jersey, and Maine; the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals cites state-specific grounds to call California's Proposition 8 unconstitutional; St. Petersburg is the latest Russian region to advance a "no promo homo" bill, while anti-gay Muslim hate leafleters are jailed in the U.K., and homophobic Swedish leafleters are rebuffed by the European Court of Human Rights; a new case filed in the EuroCourt this week blames Turkey for the continued prosecution of private, consensual adult gay sex in Northern Cyprus; and in refusing to pardon his gross indecency conviction, the British government blames gay "father of the modern computer" Alan Turing for knowingly violating the law of the land at that time (written by GREG GORDON with thanks to REX WOCKNER, produced by STEVE PRIDE, and reported this week by VASH BODDIE and CHRISTOPHER GAAL)

CALIFORNIA's marriage equality-banning PROPOSITION 8 was again declared a violation of the U.S Constitution this week. Our enhanced coverage of the February 7th edition of Pacifica Radio's California Evening News, anchored by JOHN HAMILTON and MARK MERICLE, features reports by CHRISTOPHER MARTINEZ in San Francisco, DAN FRITZ in Los Angeles, and comments by San Francisco City Attorney DENNIS HERRERA and Deputy City Attorney THERESE STEWART; Marriage Equality USA Legal Director JOHN LEWIS; successful Prop 8-challenging co-counsel THEODORE OLSON and lead plaintiff couple KRIS PERRY & SANDY STIER and their 17-year-old son SPENCER; and American Foundation for Equal Rights Board President CHAD GRIFFIN. We also have excerpts from an exclusive interview with Olson on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" [www.kpfa.org; www.msnbc.com]