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.

So, to get some insight on the Dallas Morning News, let’s look at their policy. They will not print any same-sex wedding announcement, but they will charge you over one thousand dollars if you dare ask them to do so. Now, we can’t all be superb examples of print media like this outfit in Dallas, obviously, but that seems like the biggest crock in history.

After a heated letter from Mark, in which he railed against the discriminatory practices and the confusing logic, stating that he found the invoice to be “unbelievable,” James Moroney responded in kind, adding that he would “take it up with sales” and even condescendingly thanked Mark for bringing it to his attention.

With most nationally respected newspapers giving gay couples a fair shake, and with over 8,000 disgruntled citizens challenging the practices of the Dallas Morning News, one might think they would get out of the bible’s unrelenting grasp and get with the times. And when you consider that the Internet threatens to make print media extinct, there seems to be even more pressure to give people what they want, bigoted policy be damned. After all, that $1,034 would help the paper and the ad would give it some more credibility.

But bigots are rarely logical and they are usually unwilling to bend. When the Dallas Morning News does finally die on the vine, CEO James “I See Gay People” Moroney (notice “moron” is actually in his name; you can’t make this stuff up!) will be at full fault. Let’s just hope this paper isn’t the recipient of any sneaky earmarks or bailout funds.

Let them go away. They’ve move than earned it.
This article was provided by Simon S who is a freelancer editor for several gay dating sites.