Gay Dallas couple wants newspaper to publish wedding announcement
Tue. March 8, 2011 11:34 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
Dallas -
Dante Walkup and Mark Reed are married and they want everyone to know it.
The two men, who own a lighting business in Dallas, have actually been through two marriage ceremonies: once last year when they tried to use a Washington, D.C. officiant over Skype (that didn't fly legally in Texas) and a second time when they flew to Washington and got married in person.
But the Dallas Morning News won't run their wedding announcement. The editor reasons that since their marriage isn't recognized in Texas, he doesn't have to.
(Keep in mind that people who have their weddings announced in the Morning News pay for the privilege; Walkup and Reed were expecting to shell out more than $1,000.)
The denial has led them to file a complaint with the city of Dallas; FOX Houston reports that they claim that the newspaper is violating a city code that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.
"If the State of Texas were to change its laws regarding same sex marriage, I promise we will take up the issue and reconsider it," Dallas Morning News CEO and publisher Jim Moroney told FOX. "Though there are papers in different states that do announce gay weddings, we are not the exception."
"I feel like a second-class citizen," Walkup said.
The two men, who own a lighting business in Dallas, have actually been through two marriage ceremonies: once last year when they tried to use a Washington, D.C. officiant over Skype (that didn't fly legally in Texas) and a second time when they flew to Washington and got married in person.
But the Dallas Morning News won't run their wedding announcement. The editor reasons that since their marriage isn't recognized in Texas, he doesn't have to.
(Keep in mind that people who have their weddings announced in the Morning News pay for the privilege; Walkup and Reed were expecting to shell out more than $1,000.)
The denial has led them to file a complaint with the city of Dallas; FOX Houston reports that they claim that the newspaper is violating a city code that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.
"If the State of Texas were to change its laws regarding same sex marriage, I promise we will take up the issue and reconsider it," Dallas Morning News CEO and publisher Jim Moroney told FOX. "Though there are papers in different states that do announce gay weddings, we are not the exception."
"I feel like a second-class citizen," Walkup said.