MANCHESTER, N.H.—New Hampshire’s largest newspaper, the Union Leader of Manchester, in early October rejected the wedding announcement of a gay couple—despite N.H.’s status as one of only five states in the U.S. recognizing same-sex marriage.
“This newspaper has never published wedding or engagement announcements from homosexual couples,” said Joe McQuaid, publisher of the Union Leader, which is known for its often-conservative slant. “It would be hypocritical of us to do so, given our belief that marriage is and needs to remain a social and civil structure between men and women and our opposition to the recent state law legalizing gay marriage.”
Greg Gould, the man who called in the marriage announcement ahead of his and his fiancé’s ceremony, expressed disappointment with the paper’s rejection of the notice.
“I was really disappointed because the Union Leader is a big voice in the state of New Hampshire, and they seem to be so out of touch,” Gould said.
According to the New York Daily News, the Union Leader’s staunch refusal to print nuptial notices for gay and lesbian couples could factor in the upcoming midterm election. Paul Hodes, N.H.’s Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, sent a heated letter to the paper lambasting its discriminatory practices.
“The Union Leader’s disgraceful policy of exclusion harkens to a different time in this country when people were denied opportunity because of their race, religion and ethnic origin,” Hodes wrote.
Hodes’ Republican opponent, on the other hand, addressed the issue by saying—as summarized by the Daily News—that, “government officials shouldn’t be meddling in the freedom of the press.”
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