Mark Reed-Walkup and Dante Walkup, a gay couple recently married, wanted what many happily engaged couples want: to have their wedding announcement printed in a big newspaper so that family, friends and the general public at large get the news.
This is something very common amongst all couples, so Mark and Dante had no qualms about contacting the Dallas Morning News to run their wedding announcement.
However, the couple was quickly met with conflict. Although their marriage was perfectly legal, the Dallas Morning News, specifically CEO and Publisher James Moroney, stated unequivocally that the announcement would not make the paper.
In no uncertain terms, the couple was told to simply go away, due to a policy that strictly prohibits even the announcement of same-sex marriage – even if it takes place in a legal jurisdiction.
Okay. This kind of thing happens. It’s wrong. It’s disgusting. But it’s not the end of the world. Dante and Mark were still married; it’s just another backward policy at a slow-to-change paper. Nothing new. Well, at least that’s what the couple thought.
Shortly after the paper declined to run the ad, Mark received an invoice to the tune of $1,034 – the total cost of a wedding announcement that was banned entirely from the paper.
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http://purpleunions.com/blog/2011/02/gay-couples-learn-that-discrimination-is-very-pricey.html