The
Human Rights Campaign is joining with the
Center for Equality in Arkansas and calling on the Northwest Arkansas Times
to drop their discriminatory policy of refusing to run the engagement
and wedding announcements of same-sex couples. Recently, the paper
rejected an announcement submitted by Cody Renegar and Thomas Staed.
The newspaper says it will only publish
the announcements of couples who can legally wed. Arkansas law does not
permit loving, committed same-sex couples to marry.
“We see archaic policies like this in
newspapers across the country, and it’s a reminder of how discrimination
against LGBT people can truly impact every aspect of our lives,” said
HRC President Joe Solmonese. “It’s unfortunate enough that the Arkansas
government refuses to recognize the relationships of all LGBT Arkansans
as legitimate, but it’s insulting that a local newspaper won’t publish a
simple wedding announcement. The Northwest Arkansas Times needs to get with the times and update their policies.”
“LGBT Arkansans face discrimination
nearly every day – in their communities, places of worship, and their
workplaces,” said Jason Rogers with the Center for Equality. “Same-sex
couples can and do marry in places across the country with the identical
goal of straight couples – building a future together and making a
lifelong commitment to the person they love most. Updating their policy
to reflect this would send a strong message that Arkansas is indeed home
to a vibrant LGBT community, and its members shouldn’t ever be made to
feel less worthy of the same dignity and rights everyone else receives.”
A majority of Americans support marriage equality and feel the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act should be repealed. View the Change.org petition, and learn more about the laws and protections – or lack thereof – impacting LGBT people in Arkansas.