WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	Lawmaker "Comes Out" As Gay Rights Events Begin (Hartford-WTNH) _ Connecticut raised the rainbow flag in Hartford Sunday. It will wave above the state capitol all week long symbolizing a national push for gay and lesbian rights. And at the ceremony came an unexpected admission from one state lawmaker. News Channel 8's Jocelyn Sigue reports. Rick Stillson, CT Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Civil Rights: "It symbolizes that Connecticut is not about hate and is about tolerance." Connecticut is the first state in America to fly the rainbow flag symbolizing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender pride over it's capitol. Organizers say they met with little resistance when they petitioned for their place in the sky. A few in opposition did disrupt today's ceremony before being lead away by police. The organizers of today's event would not be upstaged. The crowd later prodded State representative Patrick Flaherty to come out publicly. Rep. Patrick Flaherty, D-8th Dist.: "You all know I'm gay. I don't think that's a big surprise.... -cheering-." Flaherty says this year he'll be working hard on a bill securing second parent adoption for same sex partners. That will be tacked onto another bill for surrogate motherhood. Flaherty: "It's sort of an ironic twist that the big agenda item for the gay community in the legislature which is the second parent adoption is going to become linked with a bill that I put in for very different reasons." For lesbian parents Kathleen Mazzadra and Hazel Casson, today's flag raising is a sign that states across the nation are moving closer to securing those rights for gay and lesbian families. Kathleen Mazzadra, Goshen: "It means that our son has the right to express himself as being the son of two lesbians in a safe way." Hazel Casson, Goshen: "He was born to us and we're a family and this validates that." The flag will fly over the capitol all this week as events continue throughout the state pushing gay and lesbian rights. The theme of the week is "equality begins at home." Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

Lawmaker "Comes Out" As Gay Rights Events Begin
(Hartford-WTNH) _ Connecticut raised the rainbow flag in Hartford Sunday. It will wave above the state capitol all week long symbolizing a national push for gay and lesbian rights. And at the ceremony came an unexpected admission from one state lawmaker.
News Channel 8's Jocelyn Sigue reports.

Rick Stillson, CT Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Civil Rights: "It symbolizes that Connecticut is not about hate and is about tolerance."

Connecticut is the first state in America to fly the rainbow flag symbolizing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender pride over it's capitol. Organizers say they met with little resistance when they petitioned for their place in the sky.

A few in opposition did disrupt today's ceremony before being lead away by police.

The organizers of today's event would not be upstaged. The crowd later prodded State representative Patrick Flaherty to come out publicly.

Rep. Patrick Flaherty, D-8th Dist.: "You all know I'm gay. I don't think that's a big surprise.... -cheering-."

Flaherty says this year he'll be working hard on a bill securing second parent adoption for same sex partners. That will be tacked onto another bill for surrogate motherhood.

Flaherty: "It's sort of an ironic twist that the big agenda item for the gay community in the legislature which is the second parent adoption is going to become linked with a bill that I put in for very different reasons."

For lesbian parents Kathleen Mazzadra and Hazel Casson, today's flag raising is a sign that states across the nation are moving closer to securing those rights for gay and lesbian families.

Kathleen Mazzadra, Goshen: "It means that our son has the right to express himself as being the son of two lesbians in a safe way."

Hazel Casson, Goshen: "He was born to us and we're a family and this validates that."

The flag will fly over the capitol all this week as events continue throughout the state pushing gay and lesbian rights. The theme of the week is "equality begins at home."

Today's News Page.

WTNH Home Page.