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New Yorkers Demanding Answers About Police Shooting; What Lance Black is Doing to Help At-Risk Gays and Lesbians; Date Night for the President Obama and First Lady
Aired May 30, 2009 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Why was he shot? New Yorkers are demanding answers about why a black policeman was killed by a white officer?
Date night: It's a real expensive one for the first family, but they could pay an even higher price when it comes to public opinion.
And, golden boy: He won an Oscar for his screen play about the legendary Harvey Milk. Tonight, what Lance Black is doing to help at- risk gays and lesbians?
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.
We start tonight with a manhunt in the South, a developing story. Two convicted murderers are on the loose right now, busting out of an Arkansas prison south of Little Rock wearing guard uniforms. Thirty- two-year-old Jeffery Grinder and 39-year-odl Calvin Adams are both serving life without parole.
We're told that last night, they walked out of their prison and then drove away in a car that apparently had been left for them. The guard uniforms are made at that prison. A massive search is underway. There are new reports out tonight that the two men have been seen in Missouri.
We'll keep you posted on this developing story.
Meantime, in New York City tonight, confusion and outrage over the tragic shooting death of a black police officer by a fellow white cop. Some angry New Yorkers held a rally today, calling for a federal investigation of Thursday's incident.
We get the story now from Anthony Johnson of CNN affiliate, WABC.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE, WABC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was just standing in the store, I heard like maybe six or five shots go off and then I've seen the police cars running down the block. But I didn't know what happen.
ANTHONY JOHNSON, WABC REPORTER (voice-over): The scene was one of chaos and confusion compounded by the revelation that a cop fired fatal shots on a colleague that was pursuing an alleged theft breaking into a car. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The officer that got killed don't look like the type of person drawing a gun out here that would be robbing somebody. So, I think they should have done that this guy had something to do with some law enforcement.
JOHNSON: Officer Omar Edwards had just left work and saw the theft rummaging through his car. Edwards' car was parked on Second Avenue and the window had been broken out. The off-duty cop in plain clothes, without a vest, pulled his gun and went after the thief. As the two came face to face, members of an NYPD anti-crime unit came on the scene. A sergeant and two officers jumped out of the car, that's when something went terribly wrong.
RAYMOND KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER: When they observed Officer Edwards with his gun out pursuing a second man, they made a U- turn on 125th street and drove west towards them. One of the officers, after exiting the vehicle, fired six times from his 9- millimeter Glock, striking Officer Edwards twice. The bullets struck Officer Edwards in the left arm and in the chest.
JOHNSON: Officer Edwards had been on the police force two years and is black. The officer who fired has 4 1/2 years on the force and his wife. Authority said they are checking to see if race was a factor in this tragic shooting.
Residents have already expressed their opinions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe they should have asked him who is he before they shot him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: We're hearing all these accusations about race now. But I talked about this shooting with CNN security analyst and former D.C. police detective, Mike Brooks, right after the shooting happened. I started by asking him if it's sometimes hard to separate the cops from the bad guys.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE BROOKS, FMR. D.C. POLICE DETECTIVE: A lot of people are saying this is a black-white issue. No, this is a blue on blue issue. This is one officer shooting another officer. The officer who did the shooting --
LEMON: Whoa. Hang on, hang on. Who's saying it's a black-white issue? There's a person I really heard about that, I read the story --
BROOKS: Well, you know, we're here. Here in New York City, that is what everybody's talking about. You know, because if it was a white officer who shot another white officer, would we even be talking about, you know, mentioning race? No, we wouldn't. We'd say a cop shot another cop.
It has nothing to do about the race, Don. It has to do about an officer shooting someone who was armed. I'm hearing from sources. I was out today talking to cops, both -- you know, from NYPD and they're saying that apparently the officer did tell him to stop, drop it. He started to turn and that's when the officer opened fire.
LEMON: All right. It's - wow. It's very interesting here when, you know ...
BROOKS: Yes.
LEMON: ... when you hear all of that, because somehow, you know, in these instances, especially when it involves the police department, many times it comes back to race.
BROOKS: Right.
LEMON: Especially in New York City and other large cities here. So, I had not heard that that's a very interesting aspect of the story.
BROOKS: Well, you know, we heard our affiliate reporters say, you know, they're going to look in to see if race played an issue.
LEMON: Yes.
BROOKS: And I'm saying -- just as I said ...
LEMON: Yes.
BROOKS: ... it's not about race, it's about one officer killing another officer -- a tragic accident. But it will be investigated. They're going to take a look at all the video cameras in that area. They even did -- they did arrest the perp who Officer Edwards was chasing. So, they're going to find out what he has to say and any other witnesses who were there on the scene.
LEMON: OK. So, to prevent this from happening because, you know, we gave the stats, Mike, about ...
BROOKS: Right.
LEMON: ... how often this happens to police officers. But what does the New York City Police Department need to do or even other police departments need to do to prevent these tragedies.
BROOKS: You know, it's very, very tough to train for incidents like this. We do train and they do have -- they talk about a color of the day. If you're a plain clothes officer, and you're out on working, like these anti-crime cops do, and you are arresting a perp, you've got a colored band on you so uniformed officers won't mistaken you as a perp.
LEMON: That's one thing, right?
BROOKS: That's one thing. But see, this guy was off-duty. So, you know, he -- you don't carry around a band when you're off-duty. LEMON: Well, Mike, I'm surprised. I'm surprised that he didn't identify himself or maybe he did, maybe the investigation needs to continue because ...
BROOKS: Absolutely.
LEMON: ... when there's something like that, usually they yell out police officer.
BROOKS: Yes, you know, I'm a cop, and a lot of times a cop is even off-duty. And I used to do the same thing, Don. If I was in D.C. or anywhere else, I would carry my badge around my neck. And if I got into an off-duty incident, I would take that badge out and would be prominently displayed.
LEMON: And show it.
BROOKS: Exactly.
LEMON: Hey, real quickly. I've got to run here. But where do you see this is going?
BROOKS: I say let this investigation play out, you know? Right now, it looks like an unfortunate accident of a blue on blue incident, one officer killing another officer by mistake.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Our security analyst here at CNN, Mike Brooks, and a former D.C. police officer.
Here are some of you are saying. This is your reactions tonight. Jay says, "Why does everything have to be about race? If this had happened the other way around, would we question it being because he was white?"
Kashinka says, "I certainly hope race had nothing to do with that shooting. I thought we were in an era where there is no place for racism." And Ray says, "Perspective -- he died not because he was black, but because of the shooting officer's lack of training and incompetence." Chantsa2 (ph) says, "The NYPD thinks that they are above the law, the job of an officer is to protect and serve, not to kill people."
Make sure you give us your comments -- Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or iReport.com. We certainly do appreciate it.
OK. Some new political strategies here that are taking shape in the battle over President Barack Obama's first Supreme Court nominee.
Our political editor Mark Preston joins me now to talk about Sonia Sotomayor, and also joined by him is Barbara Perry of Sweet Briar College and the author of "The Supremes." And she's talking about the Supreme Court, not the singing group.
So, thank you very much for joining us, although that would be an interesting book as well. We'll start --
BARBARA PERRY, SWEET BRIAR COLLEGE: It would, indeed.
LEMON: Let's start with you, Mark. So, the White House -- it's going to be -- it's really been an aggressive battle here to get her confirmed. I mean, they're pulling out the big guns here.
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: They are pulling out the big guns, Don. And what we've seen is that they want to get out in front of it. They don't want the Republicans or any of her opponents to frame the conversation.
What we've seen this week is we've seen a Web video put together by President Obama. That is posted on the DNC Web site. We've seen an e-mail authored by or at least signed by Vice President Joe Biden, talking about her qualifications.
And then on Friday, we saw another e-mail sent out to the 13 million supporters of President Obama's presidential campaign that talks about how they need to start speaking about how she is qualified for the court. They even give the tools, Don, on how to do that. They tell you how to write to your local editor of your local newspaper as well as how to call your senators.
So, they're being very aggressive. They want to win this fight before there's even a fight.
LEMON: And, Barbara, being an expert on the Supreme Court and someone who knows the background here, is it interesting to hear that she is not qualified? We're hearing critics saying she's not qualified, but yet -- and still, the administration is saying she has more experience than many of the people who are already on the court.
PERRY: Oh, that is a fact. She does have more judicial experience and law-related experience than anyone on the current court and anyone who's been on the court in probably the last century. So, that's absolutely accurate.
LEMON: You know, I just thought about this, as I'm speaking here -- if she has that much experience, do you think that -- is it -- I don't know, is it sexism? Is it some sort of double standard with a woman? Or is it just because of these controversial remarks that many -- those remarks that many are saying are controversial?
PERRY: Well, the remarks aren't helping, for certain. But I do find a tag that of sexism, I think, in the comments that she's awfully strident from the bench. I do have to say that there are many intense questioners on the current court -- most of them male, although, one is Justice Ginsburg, who's an intense questioner. But no one ever questions the men when they ask intense questions.
LEMON: OK. So, Mark, listen, have these remarks have been taken out of context, and even here in the media? And also, where are the Republicans going with this?
PRESTON: Well, you know, Don, there certainly a lot of scrutiny right now on that remark that she had made several years ago. The fact is, we don't know the answer to that. Let's wait until she actually sits in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee and when she's asked that question.
I would love to hear her explanation. We can hear it from the White House. We can get their explanation for it. But let's hear it directly from her.
And as far as the Republicans right now, what we've seen in the last 24 hours is they're taking that control of the situation. We have the likes of House Speaker Newt Gingrich -- former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, who are out there making very explosive comments. But, in the last 24 hours, we have seen two prominent Republicans who play a big role in this confirmation process, come out and condemn those remarks.
They need to take this back. This is a big political issue. The Republicans do not want to look like they are attacking her based on racial terms.
LEMON: And, Barbara, I know where you stand on this -- I spoke with you yesterday and the day before, when we read the entire context of this. You think that this has been taken out of context.
PERRY: I do. I know for certain it's been taken out of context, because Judge Sotomayor was speaking in reference to Justice O'Connor's comment about men and -- wise men and wise women making the same decisions and she was just trying to say that she is informed by her own background.
LEMON: OK. Mark, you know, we're speaking of -- you were talking about the Republicans and where they're going with this. We've have been talking about the GOP who's criticizing the president tonight and the first lady for going on a date to New York City, for going to Broadway, saying, you know, maybe they shouldn't be doing this when the country is suffering, when G.M. is in trouble and facing possible bankruptcy.
PRESTON: Yes. And you know it's something -- this is an issue where, literally, it appears that the White House has served one up right over the plate for the Republicans to hit a home run. I mean, the fact is, it's very hard to explain, I think, for President Obama to get on a jet and fly up for a date from Washington, D.C. to New York City just as you would explain where one of the major auto companies in the country is going to bankruptcy, and people are losing their homes and people are really trying to figure out what to do in this crushing economy.
This is an issue that could come back to haunt President Obama in the 2010 midterm elections. And when I say come back to hurt him, actually come back and hurt congressional Democrats.
LEMON: Yes. I remember when President Bush would, you know, go off to Crawford or take vacations, he would get criticized as well. And this president, the same thing is happening with him, Mark. PRESTON: Yes, absolutely. And, you know, it's something, Republicans are going to seize upon this, and honestly, I think a mistake by the White House to do this.
LEMON: All right. Thank you. Mark Preston, Barbara Perry, we appreciate both of you.
PRESTON: Thanks.
LEMON: Another lifeline goes out to General Motors -- we're just talking about them. But, is it enough to prevent bankruptcy?
Plus, California's Proposition 8 is upheld with a loophole. We'll talk with a same-sex couple married six years. Is their marriage in jeopardy?
And, Harvey Milk the subject of a hit movie last year. Tonight, the man who wrote the film talks about a school for gays and lesbians named after the slain activist.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: General Motors is widely expected to go into bankruptcy on Monday and the company is working over time this weekend to clean up its books. G.M. bondholders face a deadline tonight to accept a deal that would give them 10 percent of the company's shares in exchange for wiping out $27 billion in company debt. No word yet on the decision.
Meantime, Germany's finance minister says the Canadian auto parts maker, Magna International, will invest in G.M.'s Opel unit in Europe. The move protects Opel from the impact of G.M.'s potential bankruptcy.
And the United Auto Workers has approved a round of labor concessions. They are designed to save G.M.'s more than $1.3 billion a year.
So, with G.M. on the brink of bankruptcy and Chrysler filing for bankruptcy last month, the news hasn't been good for the auto industry. And the fallout is being felt far beyond Detroit.
CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow hit the road.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Well, the troubles for the U.S. auto industry have been just devastating for Detroit. But they've also had a major impact on a lot of small towns across this country.
Last weekend, over Memorial Day weekend, I took a road trip from my hometown in Minneapolis, Minnesota, out here to New York, and I brought a camera along to talk to people along the way about the economy, how they feel, and how the state of the U.S. automakers is affecting their town.
We stopped in Janesville, Wisconsin. That's a town that's been incredibly hard hit. It's a town of about 63,000 people and a big G.M. plant in Janesville was shuttered in 2008. It's estimated about 45,000 people lost their job in that community as a result.
And in Janesville, I spoke with Vickie Cummins and her husband Whitey about what this is all meant, the closure of that plant. What it's meant to their friends, their family and the community.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICKIE CUMMINS, JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN: For Janesville, it's pretty hard right now because they've shut down the General Motors plants and at least 2,000 people, probably 3,000, have been affected by layoffs, the families are -- the homes are being foreclosed on. What I hear a lot of them saying is -- now, we have to sell and get out now while we can; transfer, take whatever we can get because G.M. is not going to come back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: The big concern, what the fate of G.M. is going to mean for these towns.
We traveled on to Maumee, Ohio, which is a small town of about 14,000 people -- right next to Toledo, Ohio. And in Toledo, there's a major auto supplier, Dana Holding. It just emerged from bankruptcy back in January and a lot of jobs have been affected by job cuts at that auto supplier.
I spoke with a man named David Coldiron (ph). He runs a local restaurant right in Maumee, Ohio. He talked about the effects on the community. Listen to him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID COLDIRON (ph), MAUMEE, OHIO: With our automobile industry, the local economy is here relies heavily on the automobile. And we really taking a big hit, being close to Detroit, lost a lot of business as well (INAUDIBLE) from the automobile industry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: A lot of businesses, those suppliers, those auto dealers, they were all across Maumee, Ohio.
Right in that same diner, I spoke with Arnold Dizenny. He's a retiree. He and his wife were having their Sunday brunch. And he expressed a lot of anger and frustration about how the government has handled this bailout, also saying it's been devastating to the community there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARNOLD DIZENNY, MAUMEE, OHIO: This particular area, it's devastating. You have a lot of automotive industry in this area, you have a lot of suppliers in this area, you have a lot of car dealers in this area. Government has made a big mistake here.
HARLOW: So, what about G.M. and Chrysler? (INAUDIBLE). DIZENNY: They're going the very same thing that they were going to do from the very start. So why -- why did the government have to interrupt?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: His big question: Why did the government inject billions and billions of dollars into these automakers?
You can see more from that road show, we spoke to a lot of people across the country. It's all on CNN money.com.
LEMON: All right. Poppy, thank you for that.
And tonight on CNN, be sure to watch CNN's Ali Velshi and Christine Romans -- a very good special -- they're going to explore the rise and fall of the American auto industry and where it might go from here. It's called, "How the Wheels Came Off: The Rise and Fall of the American Auto Industry" -- tonight, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
The recession has forced many businesses to change the way they operate in order to survive -- a task tailor-made for this guy that you're seeing there.
Plus, California's Proposition 8 banning gay marriage is upheld. Now what happens? We'll talk to a same-sex couple.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. In tonight's "Money and Main St." -- the story of Ryan Taylor who just happens to be a tailor is thriving business centers on selling clothes before he makes them. And his client list ranges from Hollywood to just regular folks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With swatches of fabric and measuring tape, Ryan Taylor sells clothes before he makes them.
RYAN TAYLOR, OWNER, DROBE: So, we eliminate the money that it costs to have your clothes tailored, we eliminate the time that it costs to go shopping.
ROWLANDS: And the cost of inventory: When a sale is made, half the money is collected up front -- which helps pay for the cost of materials. Taylor says his custom-made clothes are about the same price you'd find in a department store.
TAYLOR: Our business model is remarkably fit, lean. We have no inventory. Our inventory, quite honestly, is simply fabric.
Let's do it.
ROWLANDS: When he started his company, DROBE, which is the wardrobe, without the "war," Taylor was selling clothes the old- fashioned way, making them first.
This is a photo of his booth at a Las Vegas trade show in 2001. He didn't sell a thing.
TAYLOR: When I came back from the show, thousands of dollars in the hole, I said, "How can I create a better story?"
ROWLANDS: So, he created the new business model. One of his first clients was the late comedian Bernie Mac.
TAYLOR: I called "The Bernie Mac Show" -- he rests in peace -- and the stylist there said come on in, let me see what you have. And he was my first celebrity client.
ROWLANDS: Taylor now sells to several celebrities, including musician Johnny Gill, who recently bought some clothes at his home in Beverly Hills. Other celebrity clients include Martin Lawrence, Jay Leno and Al Pacino.
But Taylor says most of his business comes from average Joes, who hear about DROBE through referrals. Taylor says his love for making and selling clothes never changed, but changing the way he does business has allowed him to thrive in a tough economy.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, Ted.
Well, the weather is looking brighter all across the U.S. Did you hear that? The weather is looking brighter all across -- you know, we use to say, CNN severe weather center breaking news.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I know. It's always bad news, isn't it?
LEMON: It's good news, Jacqui. Don't you love to deliver good news? I even wore any yellow tie because it was such a sunny day today.
JERAS: Your ray of sunshine right here, Don Lemon.
LEMON: Yes, I'm like a -- you know, I don't know, what is it, poppy? What color ...
JERAS: Poppy?
LEMON: Yes, poppy. Poppies are yellow, aren't they?
JERAS: No. Poppies are kind of reddish orange.
LEMON: Oh, sorry. I don't know.
(LAUGHTER)
JERAS: Stick with the sun, Don. Stick with the sun.
LEMON: I dyed my poppy.
(LAUGHTER)
JERAS: All right. OK. Let's show you where there are some areas we are concerned about.
Speaking of yellow, we do have this yellow box. And this is a severe thunderstorm watch. And it does extend east to St. Louis, you know, it kind of across central parts of Illinois to southern Indiana. Includes you in the Cinci area and down into northeastern parts of Kentucky. Hail makers here, potentially3/4 of an inch or an inch or so in diameter; and maybe some gusty winds with them.
So, be aware of this, this isn't going to ruin your entire evening or tomorrow. But just want you to be aware of some of these threats that are going on out there as we speak. Some of the stronger thunderstorms as I say could produce that hail, but we're really not expecting any rotation.
All right. Let's talk temperatures. Temperatures have been just lovely, haven't they? And not to mention the fact that, you know, we haven't had a whole lot of humidity to go along with it.
It's 87 right now in St. Louis; 87 degrees also in Kansas City; Minneapolis, 78 degrees here: 85 in Billings, that's toasty for you. Just shy of the triple digits in the Phoenix area and 66 in San Francisco. Now, temperatures for tomorrow, we are expecting to stay about the same. We might see a little bit of that warming trend beginning to take place and, you know, we'll have a big range of temperatures of highs and lows because that air is on the dry side.
The forecast for tomorrow -- did you get outside today? I really, really hope that you did. If not tomorrow should have a good chance of that. Places like Detroit, New York City, down towards Atlanta into Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Kansas City -- all looks good.
Now, we do have a range of thunderstorms here across much of the Intermountain West. I think it's going to be isolated so you're not going to get it and certainly not all day. And the greatest potential for severe thunderstorms is right there across the upper Midwest.
So, maybe Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Sioux City, Iowa, Sioux Falls, South Dakota and into northern parts of Nebraska. That's about it -- looking good.
Hey, tell me what you're doing this weekend, I want to hear from you. I'm on Twitter, finally. So, go ahead and send me some tweets: Twitter.com/JacquiJeras. Also, on Facebook and iReport.
I have had quite a few comments already and people are doing graduation party this is weekend. They're heading to pools. They're wanting barbecue. So, keep on sending those in -- Don?
LEMON: He left, he wasn't feeling well. (LAUGHTER)
JERAS: Yes, because the weather's so good. That's what I'm going to say.
LEMON: Oh, my gosh. I know, it's one of those days. I don't think I'm coming in today.
JERAS: Whatever.
LEMON: Oh, well. So, OK, what did I say? Poppy, maybe sunflower and a daisy, right?
JERAS: There you go.
LEMON: Yes.
JERAS: Yes.
LEMON: OK. Thank you, Jacqui. Appreciate it.
Big news this week when California's Proposition 8 was upheld -- live reaction next from a same sex couple.
Plus: My conversation with the man who wrote the movie about Harvey Milk. He talks passionately about the school for gays and lesbians named after the famous activist.
Plus ...
(VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Go to break. This guy's coming up, too. This guy's coming up, too. I can't even read it.
(LAUGHTER)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Let's check some headlines for you right now this hour. Two convicted murderers are on the loose. They escaped from an Arkansas prison last night wearing guard uniforms. They drove off in a car that apparently had been left for them. There are reports they had been seen in Missouri. We'll keep an eye on this story for you.
Turning overseas the Pakistani government is claiming a big victory in its military offensive against the Taliban. Government forces say they have taken Mingora, the largest city in Pakistan's Swat Valley.
GM's board of directors are meeting through the weekend and the company is expected to file for bankruptcy on Monday. In the meantime, the Canadian parts supplier has agreed to invest in GM's Opel operations in Europe. When the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8 this week, it left a loophole for couples who had already tied the knot. About 18,000 same sex couples got married before Californian's pass Proposition 8 which bans those marriages in November. Well, under the term of this week's court ruling, they're still married.
And one of those couples Juan Rivera and Manuel Rodriguez are in our Los Angeles bureau and they join us right now. Thank you. So nice of you guys to join us.
JUAN RIVERA, MARRIED TO ERIC MANRIQUEZ: Thank you.
ERIC MANRIQUEZ, MARRIED TO JUAN RIVERA: Thank you for having us.
LEMON: What a week it's been for you guys, huh?
MANRIQUEZ: It's been really emotional and a roller coaster up and down.
LEMON: Yes. why do you say that?
MANRIQUEZ: Well, I mean it's a bittersweet thing that we're still married, but I mean it's not equality. And we're not being treated the same as everyone else. So, and we're like in a minority of a minority and that's kind of difficult.
RIVER: Yes.
LEMON: What do you make of - Eric, you're on the right, you're in the blue, right, the solid shirt, right.
MANRIQUEZ: Correct.
LEMON: Which one is Eric? You're Eric in the blue solid shirt. And then Juan, I just want to make sure I get both of you. So Juan, obviously I guess when you heard the ruling that you were upset, and then there's no more legally, I think this is the end of the road, there have been lots of protests and people are saying they're going to put it back on the ballot again. Do you think that's a good idea?
RIVERA: That's a good idea. That's what we're going to do. They want to fight and we want to fight back. And also it's like for us, we're very upset, not for us, we are happy for us, but what about our friends? They want to get married. And also they cannot do that anywhere in California. So that's why we're going to go back next November 2010, November and I don't know like do something to overturn Proposition 8.
MANRIQUEZ: -- Proposition 8.
LEMON: Yes and as we look at these pictures and I'm sure for some people, you know, who are watching these pictures at home, they may be uncomfortable. Looking at these pictures and to you it's just your normal life and you guys have decided to spend your life together. So I'm sure there are people who are watching this and I know there are who are saying, oh, look at these two guys together, what have you. Do you think that one day we'll get to a point where this becomes more acceptable for people, whether or not they agree with it or not?
MANRIQUEZ: I think it is. And I think the more we talk about this subject, the more people are understanding that we're not taking anything away from other couples. I mean we just want to be happy the same as everyone else. And so, I mean we should have the right to marry whomever we choose.
LEMON: Do you understand though, for many though, that's their belief, and I'm just, you know, I'm just repeating what people say. They believe that marriage is sacred and that is your religious belief. That's what they were brought up to believe, that's what they were taught to believe. Can you understand why people are so passionate about not allowing gay people to be married? Is there some understanding on your part about that?
MANRIQUEZ: Well, I understand because I was brought up in that way also. And you cannot be that way. But we exist, we're human, I was born this way, it's not like I chose to have feelings for someone, OK, well you chose to being gay. And I mean I didn't choose that. That's the way I was born. And I don't think anyone should have the right to tell me who I should marry or what I should do or not do because of my sexual orientation.
LEMON: OK. Hey, Juan, real quickly, I want to get your response as well.
RIVERA: We came from Mexico and in Mexico, it's like very hard people, it's like very machismo and it's really hard to live in Mexico and have the religious sin, thinking like we are two men saying we cannot be married. But like Eric say, we were born this way, we don't choose to be gay. So I'm going to be with him and it's a man. And that's fine for us. I don't care what other people say about that.
LEMON: Juan and Eric, we appreciate it. Thank you very much for coming on and, you know, exposing or opening yourself up to this because there's lots of criticism both good and bad and it takes a very courageous person to come on the show. Thank you.
MANRIQUEZ: Thank you so much.
RIVERA: Thank you.
LEMON: Here's what you guys are saying, Scottie says, Don, I'm so mad about proposition 8. I'm not in California, but I am gay and I'm so offended Prop 8 wasn't reverse, shame on Cali.
Marcboss6 says gays should take their business elsewhere, they shouldn't pay taxes, why should they pay since they are not equal citizens.
JoeOrgil says a couple is just that, a couple, not a married couple. It's disrespectful to all cultures to call two men married. No rights. Odeabowen64 says pres met with Abbas, flew to Vegas, and California, dealt with Congress, nominated Sotomayor, he deserves a date night. Thank you very much and badar1 says the presidency should have some perks attached to the job anyway. Air Force One and the helicopter and Secret Service is it.
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You know he wrote the Oscar winning film about Harvey Milk, tonight he talks about the schools for gays and lesbians named after the slain activists.
Also, she was one of the world's most talk about talent show contestants. Guess what Susan Boyle lost tonight, what might her future hold? We'll find out from a very talented guy and what is that, is that a turtle?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I'm a turtle.
LEMON: OK. I can't wait to talk to you, turtle in just a little bit. We'll see you, OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: The new Supreme Court nominee, also Prop 8 and all the protests that are going on out west over this. We have been talking a lot about gay issues. With the high school social scene is up for everyone but for lesbian gay bisexual or transgender teens, it can be traumatic. The schools like New York's Harvey Milk High are working to change that and they are getting support from the Hetrick Martin Institute.
I recently spoke with Oscar-winning screen writer Dustin Lance Black about whether such a school would have made a difference in his life?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DUSTIN LANCE BLACK, OSCAR WINNING SCREENWRITER, "MILK": Absolutely. I think to know that there's a safety net for kids like, gay, lesbian bisexual, transgender kids who, you know, are being harassed in schools because so many of these kids are being harassed.
It's like something like 74 percent today are being harassed in schools and 22 percent are being harassed physically, you know, subjected to physical violence. So, to know that there's that safety net, there's that place to go where you can have access to, you know, equal education without feeling like you might be beaten up or harassed, just a safe place to go to learn, you know? So maybe you can do something with your life. That would have been great.
LEMON: There may be people in the larger culture who may not realize just, you know, what horror LGBT kids go through and kids who have are diverse sexually, let's put it that way. They don't realize how they're teased, and how detrimental it can be for their upbringing.
BLACK: Yes, absolutely. And you know, it's not just the teasing and the direct violence, it's also being in a school where you hear, you know, gay being thrown around as like a derogatory adjective or you hear like your friends, you know, saying some really awful stuff about other gay kids or lesbian kids and you get those messages and it makes you not want to show up at school and that's very, very common. It's very common with LGBT kids just might not want to stick out. They just might not want to excel.
LEMON: And some kids end up taking their lives which is I mean, the worst thing that can happen, you know, or they go through their life and they're troubled or get on drugs or what have you. How did you get involved with this project?
BLACK: You know, I mean Harvey Milk has obviously been something, a story that saved my life. Like when I found out that I had a gay hero, that there was such a thing as an out gay man - it was so inspiring to me that maybe, you know, I could Excel. Maybe I could do good in my life and so when I heard that the Harvey Milk School, this great safety net for LGBT kids was struggling. Because it's struggling. They just had to lay off 20 percent of their staff, I thought we've got to do something to save this.
You know, 26 percent of gay lesbian bisexual transgender kids today are kicked out of their home. 26 percent are kicked out of their home when they come out. And you know, where do they go. We don't want them to end up in the streets. We want these kids to be able to learn and excel, and so we can't let something like the Harvey Milk School vanish.
LEMON: And also, you know, I guess all the help that the Hetrick Martin Institute can get because Levi is also helping as well as givethemhopenow.org, they have teamed up with you as well. I'm sure you're happy about that because that will bring more funds.
BLACK: Oh, I'm thrilled about that. You know, what that means is it means it's a place to go where, like, just ordinary folks can give whatever they can to help these kids, but beyond that, if you take a look at the site, to givethemhopenow.org site, you can tell your stories. So LGBT kids can go tell their stories or parents of LGBT kids can tell their story, their allies.
You know, it's through those stories that these kids figure out that they're not alone out there. That they have, you know, friends and families, the struggle on the set, sort of community that I think give so many of these kids. That hope will help them Excel even in their own school. You know it's not just fund raising, it's also sort of bolstering these kids self-esteem which is so very important.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Straight ahead here on CNN, more of my conversation with the Oscar winner Lance Black.
Plus. Britain's singing sensation lost tonight but shed no tears.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... what a wonderful world
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: This winner from "America's Got Talent" Susan Boyle could have a very bright future and he is no dummy. But he's got Winston, well, Winston may have a dummy with him. Kidding.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think?
LEMON: We'll see you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, before the break, you saw a bit of my conversation with Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, his outreach to gays, lesbians and transgender teams is getting a lot of attention. And he talked to me about it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLACK: I heard a lot from young people, I mean, you know, the e- mails from either gay and lesbian kids who felt that they could finally come out or that they felt good about themselves for the very first time or even some of the parents who I think understood personally perhaps what they're kids are struggling with.
I'll tell you one of the wonderful things I got to do recently was through this organization, Live Out Loud. They have a homecoming project and I was able to go back to my high school which is in Salinas, California. You know, it's mostly working class Latino Catholic kids and that's where I grew up and it's a conservative school and, you know, I walked out and I was received so warmly and I was able to kind of go out there and tell them, you know, very openly that I am gay and that just because you're gay doesn't mean that you can't achieve great things.
And I got to say in the Q&A this kid stood up in front of 1,200 students and he came out. He came out of the closet. And he started to tell his own story about his struggle coming out in a conservative home. And he started to cry. The most remarkable thing was watching these students not sit there uncomfortably or even give polite applause. They gave this young man an ovation. And warmly received him. And what followed was three more kids, young lesbian and gay kids coming out to their student body. And you know, that's great change. That is great change.
And I think it's through these programs and us telling our stories and dispelling those myths and stereotypes that, you know, the young people are starting to understand that you can't bully and you have to not just tolerate gay and lesbian kids but really love them and accept them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right. Lance Black, thank you very much for that. I enjoyed that conversation.
So, as we've been saying, the president and the first lady are going to take a trip to Broadway tonight to take in a little theater there. President Barack Obama and the first lady, they left Washington for New York just about 90 minutes ago. Tonight they're going to see "Joe Turner Come and Gone" at the Belasco Theater on Broadway.
We're looking at pictures now from 44th and 6th there in midtown Manhattan. Right near Times Square. Excuse me. What you saw before was Comic King. That was a broadband signal. This is a mass cam - that's a broadband signal right there. Hey, there's the president's motorcade. Is there sound on this?
So I guess the police officers may be just before the president and his motorcade gets there. I'm not sure if that's it. We'll stick with it for a little bit. Yes, it is. So there you go. Live. This is done from a phone, by the way, just so you know. So this is new technology.
We call this a comet phone here at CNN. And boy, you can go live from anywhere now, pretty much. But that's the president there arriving - getting pretty close to the theater, 6th and 44th. I'm a former New Yorker. 44th and 6th is the proper way to say it. They're going to the Belasco Theater to see "Joe Turner "Come and Gone." It's their first time in New York City as the first couple since they went to the White House. Having a little night out.
Singer Susan Boyle became the poster child for this year's "Britain's Got Talent" show. Many thought she had already won. But think again. Boyle came in second tonight. Well, our next guest has some advice for her, and he is, I don't know, I guess you could call him no dummy.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me. Don't you wish your girlfriend was a freak like me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That is really funny. That is funny. The winner of "America's Got Talent" made Atomic cash. He said it could happen for Susan Boyle as well, I thought I was going to get to talk to you now but we got to go to a little break. What is that guy's name with you? That's Winston?
WINSTON: I'm Winston, impersonating turtle and I got some advice for Susan.
LEMON: All right. OK. We're going to get it from you but I want to talk to Vicky too. I hope you brought Vicky with you. Yes, she's here.
LEMON: All right. We'll see you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK. Well, she was an overnight sensation from obscurity to worldwide fame with an appearance on a show "Britain's Got Talent" but could Susan Boyle win it all again tonight? Well, the finale was tonight in London. Drum roll, please.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The winner of "Britain's Got Talent" 2009, is ... Diversity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Boy, that was dramatic, wasn't it? That's right. She was the runner-up. She came in second to a dance group called Diversity, as they say across the pond. But Susan Boyle was gracious in defeat. Here's what she said after the winners were announced.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Susan, how do you feel right now?
SUSAN BOYLE: The best people won.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's very gracious of you. You said to me there you came runner-up to a very deserved winners. Do you feel that?
BOYLE: I really do. They're very entertaining. Lads, I wish you all the best.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very, very gracious.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Susan -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. The winner is Diversity will receive a cash prize worth $161,000 and they get to perform for Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Variety Show.
OK. So close at home, closer to home, the man who won "America's Got Talent" two years ago has reportedly signed a deal of a lifetime to entertain the crowds at the mirage in Las Vegas. Here's ventriloquist Terry Fator performing there in March.
TERRY FATOR, 2007 WINNER, "AMERICA'S GOT TALENT": Hi. LEMON: We don't need to see you perform in March. We've seen enough of that. Let's just talk to you. How are you doing, first of all?
FATOR: Oh, I'm doing just fantastic. I'm having a blast. We're here at - we started at March 14th right here at the Mirage in Las Vegas. And we've been selling out all the shows. It's been wonderful.
LEMON: congratulations to you and to Winston and to Vicky. But I know there are similarities to you and the winner or at least the runner-up in Britain. You were not a 20-year-old, like many of the folks on "American Idol." You had been around for a while. And so had she. And sort of came out of nowhere and stunned judges.
FATOR: Yes. It was an interesting sort of parallel between me and Susan, because when we walked out, the expectations were so low.
WINSTON: Yes. That's because I wasn't on there.
FATOR: Well, that's true. If he hadn't been on there, I think it would have been different. What happened was that people kind of rolled their eyes and thought, yes, right, OK, a ventriloquist. When he came out, no, this is going to be terrible. And we surprised them. So it was really fun to watch Susan do that.
LEMON: You know, we have heard a lot about Susan and, you know, there have been you know sort of outbursts or the way she was handling fame. It's a lot of pressure when all of a sudden you go from obscurity to almost everyone knowing who you are and the press is scampering for you.
FATOR: Yes. It can be very difficult. And I don't blame her for any of the outbursts because there can be a lot of pressure. And what's funny is when people start talking negatively about you and you haven't done anything to deserve it, it can be very discombobulating.
WINSTON: What's discombobulating?
We'll talk about it later.
LEMON: Hey, listen, I want to talk to Vicky as well but you know what, Simon Cowell who is very harsh, you know, he's very harsh in the sense that, you know, he's harsh, let's put it that way. But he said you're one of the most talented people on the planet. How does it make you feel?
WINSTON: Oh it made me feel great.
LEMON: Well, I think he said it about me.
WINSTON: He did?
FATOR: Yes. He did say it about me. But it was incredible. I mean, you don't get a compliment like that. Now I will bring Vicky in a second but he wanted to give - WINSTON: I wanted to give Susan some advice.
FATOR: Yes, what's your advice for Susan?
WINSTON: Well, there are three things. First of all, Susan, you should try ventriloquist. You're pretty good.
LEMON: Terry and Winston, I wish we could Vicky but we have to run now. We have to get to another show. Thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it. Congratulations to you.
I'm Don Lemon. "How the Wheels Came Off" starts right now.
