NIC KAZAMIA >> You're in Toronto.
Why are you in Toronto?
GLORIA ALLRED >> I'm here in Toronto to support my client, Jenna Talackova, because she is
a finalist for Miss Universe Canada.
She did enter the competition, she made the finals but then she was disqualified because
the Miss Universe business competition had a rule that only a person who was a natural
born female could qualify.
As a result, she was disqualified.
Jenna then came to me, we protested the disqualification.
We felt that it was blantantly discriminatory.
She is a female, legally.
We argued that it violates the law in Canada and the United States.
Trump agreed.
She has won an important civil rights victory and we are so proud of her, for her courage
in doing that.
If she doesn't win, she's still a winner.
In terms of her civil rights victory and she will go on with her career.
NIC KAZAMIA >> Why did you take on this case?
GLORIA ALLRED >> I felt that Jenna was asking for my support, that she was being very courageous.
That she is a trail blazer now.
She did not choose this battle, but she became a victim of an injustice when she was disqualified.
She wanted to change the rule and she wanted to be back in the Miss Universe Canada competition
and I wanted to be there to support her.
We have been fighting this battle for about 35 years, for equal rights.
We fought it when it wasn't fashionable, when nobody ever even heard a lesbian speaking
out and saying "I'm a person who's a lesbian, she is my life partner" and they just wanted
to be treated with respect and dignity and equal rights.
Just the same way that Jenna does not wish to have anymore rights in this Miss Universe
Competition than anyone else.
Nor does she wish to have fewer rights.
She just wants to have to be treated the same as everyone else...
equally.
NIC KAZAMIA >> Why this passion?
It's a passion in a sense.
It's a real passion about gay and lesbian and trans issues.
GLORIA ALLRED >> Well these cases have come to me.
And I have felt that from the beginning that this was a minority who was stigmatized, who
was stereotyped, who was being excluded.
NIC KAZAMIA >> Just before coming here I read that you are going to be representing John
Travolta's... the John Travolta case which is the two gentlemen who are suing him for
inappropriate behaviour when they were giving massages to him.
GLORIA ALLRED >> Well I represent John Doe 1 and John Doe 2 and their cases have been
dismissed without prejudice, which means, they could refile and they could refile in
another court.
We are currently conferring with them about the course of action which will be pursued.
NIC KAZAMIA >> Could you talk about what the cases are?
What was the issue or?
GLORIA ALLRED >> I have no other comment.
NIC KAZAMIA >> Because it just happened
GLORIA ALLRED >> I know it did.
NIC KAZAMIA >> *laughs* But you know it a very well known case because it got a lot
of media attention and John Travolta is a public figure and of course people have said
these two young gentlemen are out there to sort of sabotage his career and of course
ruin his reputation about being a homosexual and what not.
GLORIA ALLRED >> I have no further comment on this matter.
Except that I do have great confidence in my clients.
NIC KAZAMIA >> This week, Barack Obama, has come out in favour of gay-marriage.
Which is a big story in North America though in Canada marriage between homosexual same-sex
couples is legal.
What do you make of the announcement in the U.S. that this president is supportive of
equal rights basically?
GLORIA ALLRED >> I was very very proud of president Obama.
That he came out in support of marriage equality.
It was particularly important because he did that the day after North Carolina voted to
add a constitutional amendment to their state constitution banning marriage equality.
To have the president of the United States be the very first president, who has come
out and indicated that that fundamental right to marry should be afforded to individuals
who are lesbian, who are gay.
It's very important that the president has said that.
I've just been elected as an Obama delegate to the Democratic National Convention from
my congressional district.
So I'm very excited about that.
This is going to be potentially a very close election because there is so much money that
is going to be spent to try to defeat Obama and in certain key states it could make a
difference it could hurt him.
That is why it is particularly courageous of him.
NIC KAZAMIA >> Well thank you so much for talking to me.
It's be a sincere honour and a pleasure.
Thank you.
GLORIA ALLRED >> Thank you Nicolas very much for the invitation and I feel that I'm here
as herstory is being made.
I'm excited to be part of it.�