NWA Center for Equality Seeks Newspaper Policy Change
For immediate release:
The NWA Center for Equality is strongly disappointed by the discriminatory actions of the NWA TIMES by refusing to publish the wedding announcement of Cody Renegar and his partner Thomas Staed.
The Center’s Director for Advocacy, Jason Rogers says, “It is a shame that in today’s society people are blatantly placed as second class citizens due to the limited view of love. It is a disgrace to see that a newspaper, which should be at the heart of freedom of press and expression, would be so outright against the idea of two individuals wishing to express their love just as our straight ally’s do.”
A similar example played out last year in Dallas, TX when a same-sex couple who were married in Washington, D.C. asked to have their wedding announcement placed in the Dallas Morning News. The paper, just like the NWA TIMES, refused to publish it and a petition was started to change the newspaper’s policy. Texas, just like Arkansas, does not recognize marriage equality but according to the publisher of the Dallas Morning News, James Moroney, said, “It’s the right thing to do” according to the article posted on Change.org’s news section.
Cody Renegar, a long time Community activist and member, said “I believe that I am not only speaking for Thomas and myself but that I am also speaking for the Community. I hope that we are doing them justice.”
GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) contacted Laura Phillips, a local straight ally and activist, and informed her that in 2008 the NWA TIMES filled out a survey that was sent from GLAAD saying they would publish same-sex marriage announcements.
We at the Center for Equality, along with the backing of the Human Rights Campaign, strongly ask the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, and the NWA TIMES, to reconsider its position on publishing wedding announcements for same-sex couples. Equality matters.
States that allow marriage equality are Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Washington, D.C.
