Texas couple fights newspaper that rejected their wedding announcement

Posted by Joe Girton, Freedom to Marry's New Media Intern:

Dallas couple Mark Reed-Walkup and Dante Walkup are fighting for acknowledgment in the city's major newspaper, The Dallas Morning News. After being legally married in Washington, D.C. in December, they submitted a paid marriage announcement to their local paper.

Innocuous, right? Not according to the paper, which denied their request on the grounds that their marriage is invalid in their home state of Texas.

Distinguished newspapers all over America, even in states where marriage is still restricted, print marriage announcements for all couples without discriminating – from The New York Times to the Omaha World-Herald in Nebraska.

Why not The Dallas Morning News?

The fact that a newspaper in today’s unsympathetic economic climate would turn downad revenue from such innocent content hints at ideological discrimination deeper than the already-shaky reasons cited. All this is a reminder that there’s still progress to be made and work to be done so Mark and Dante can be dignified by the same public respect as any committed couple deserves –something that they’ll never enjoy as 'domestic partners,' but should expect as a married couple, no matter where they choose to live.

Help Mark and Dante by signing this petition on Change.org to help them win their discrimination complaint with the City of Dallas, so that they can publicly celebrate their lifelong commitment to one another.

Click here to add your name to the petition