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Hodes Calls Out Union Leader's "Disgraceful Policy"

by: Dean Barker

Fri Oct 22, 2010 at 21:07:48 PM EDT
Paul Hodes is not going to let the Union Leader's bizarre position in this state or his high-pressure senate race get in the way of standing up for what's right:
I read with deep disappointment that the Union Leader has decided it will not publish the wedding announcement for Greg Gould and Aurelio Tine. The couple is legally getting married this weekend in Portsmouth. Last year New Hampshire legalized same-sex marriage to ensure that everyone has equal opportunity.

It is reprehensible that the Union Leader would exclude legal marriage in New Hampshire from publication because of their right-wing agenda. Legitimate minds can disagree over policy but once the law is settled, the paper should put aside differences and allow all couples to have equal access to their publication.

Mr. Gould and Mr. Tine will become legally married this weekend and they should have the same opportunities as everyone in New Hampshire to have their marriage publicized and recognized. 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.

Standing ovation, Congressman!  And Paul is absolutely correct: you can't claim to be a paper for the entire state of New Hampshire, while simultaneously wishing away the law of the land.

Full release below the fold.  
Dean Barker :: Hodes Calls Out Union Leader's "Disgraceful Policy"
Hodes Denounces Union Leader for Excluding Same-Sex Marriage Announcement;

Challenges Ayotte to Do the Same

Manchester, NH - Tonight, Paul Hodes sent a letter to the editor of the Union Leader, denouncing their decision to exclude a same-sex marriage announcement from publication, and encouraging the paper to respect New Hampshire law and give same-sex couples the equal rights and opportunities they are guaranteed.  He challenged his Republican opponent, Kelly Ayotte, to do the same.

"It is reprehensible that the Union Leader would exclude legal marriage in New Hampshire from publication because of their right-wing agenda," said Paul Hodes. "Legitimate minds can disagree over policy but once the law is settled, the paper should put aside differences and allow all couples to have equal access to their publication. Mr. Gould and Mr. Tine will become legally married this weekend and they should have the same opportunities as everyone in New Hampshire to have their marriage publicized and recognized."

"As a former Attorney General, Kelly Ayotte should understand the importance of respecting equality for every New Hampshire citizen. Tonight, I call on her to denounce the Union Leader and stand on the side of equal rights - and the law."

The text of Paul's letter is pasted below.

# # #

October 22, 2010

Dear Editor:

I read with deep disappointment that the Union Leader has decided it will not publish the wedding announcement for Greg Gould and Aurelio Tine. The couple is legally getting married this weekend in Portsmouth. Last year New Hampshire legalized same-sex marriage to ensure that everyone has equal opportunity.

It is reprehensible that the Union Leader would exclude legal marriage in New Hampshire from publication because of their right-wing agenda. Legitimate minds can disagree over policy but once the law is settled, the paper should put aside differences and allow all couples to have equal access to their publication.

Mr. Gould and Mr. Tine will become legally married this weekend and they should have the same opportunities as everyone in New Hampshire to have their marriage publicized and recognized. 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.

Mr. McQuaid and I disagree on many things but I have always respected his opinion. He should respect the laws of New Hampshire and allow this couple a place in his newspaper along with other couples being married this weekend.

Sincerely,

Paul Hodes
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Hodes Calls Out Union Leader's "Disgraceful Policy" | 13 comments
UL's Big Gummint Subsidies (4.00 / 2)
I take it legal notices are required by law to be published in a deadtree media outlet?

If that was changed, would Joe McQuaid squeal?


Whack-a-mole, anyone?

I don't think social announcements qualify as legal (0.00 / 0)
notices forwarded by some public agency.  
The equal protection clause applies to our agents of government, not private corporations.  Some provisions have been extended to private corporations under the interstate commerce clause.  Not sure that applies to the UL.
[ Parent ]
I believe Jack's point is (0.00 / 0)
The state could change its law to specify that the requirement to publish certain public notices in newspapers of general circulation, will not be satisfied if you use a paper that practices discrimination such as refusal to run same sex marriage announcements.

At least that's how I read it.

[ Parent ]
Thank you Paul for always stating what is right (4.00 / 3)
Isn't that why we elected you to Congress and hopefully to the US Senate?
The Ghost Of William Loeb Still Walks Their Halls (4.00 / 2)
The hypocrisy of the Union Leader on this issue is not unusual for that newspaper.  It's sad that the ghost of William Loeb still walks their halls.  

It's a haunting reminder of prejudice that, eventually, will disappear because, in time, right always prevails over wrong.  

Paul himself has written a diary over at dKos (4.00 / 1)
Rec it if you can.

If enough eyeballs catch this, more national attention will descend on the UL over their absurd position.

birch, finch, beech

Louisiana (0.00 / 0)
This brings to mind that case with the justice of the peace who refused to marry interracial couples.
The Zimmermans of New Hampshire (4.00 / 3)
The owners of the Zimmerman House, Isadore and Lucille Zimmerman could not get married in New Hampshire. He was Jewish, she was Baptist.

They had to get married in Philadelphia.

Boycott them. (4.00 / 1)
Call their advertisers. Boycott them also.

While the U-L is and should be free to advocate whatever they believe, when they step beyond advocacy into the practice of bigotry, no one is compelled to subsidize them.

The U-L is fluent in the language of cash, they will get the idea.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

Unfortunately, some people are more into influence (0.00 / 0)
than success. It's quite apparent that a goodly number of corporate leaders derive more satisfaction from causing distress than from successful enterprise. The dismantling of our industrial base would seem to be evidence of that.
[ Parent ]
Because Of This Bigotry... (4.00 / 3)
...the employees at The Union Leader are the ones who will ultimately suffer.  Ultimately, especially in these times when newspapers are having a problem just surviving, this is a bad business decision.  They certainly can't sell more newspapers because of their discriminatory hatred.

Their ownership/management is guilty of malfeasance and as employees further continue to be laid off or don't receive their salary increases when they're asked to work harder for less, they have their bosses to blame.  

The Union Leader is becoming less meaningful and more irrelevant in the lives of New Hampshire residents.  It will eventually go out of business, and they only have their own leaders to blame.  This decision of theirs has no foundation in "principle."  It is based on ignorance.

Kind of sad, really.  But the ones I feel sorry for are the employees who clean the floors, wash the windows, and spread the ink on the rollers -- not those in the executive office.  

[ Parent ]
Not that fluent (4.00 / 2)
They've already had to reduce their schedule and they've lost a lot of subscriber. Like all the rest of the dead-tree media, they aren't growing. At this point they're just hoping for some rich right-wing idiot to buy them for a vanity press and ignore ongoing losses.

Only the left protects anyone's rights.
[ Parent ]
The UL is owned by a non-profit (4.00 / 1)
The Loebs established a foundation to both own the paper and do other, non-profit stuff. Thus the Nackey Loeb awards and School of Journalism. The model for this is the St. Petersburg Press and the Poynter Institute.

There is some hope that this model is more resilient. (Joe may put that to the test.)

[ Parent ]
Hodes Calls Out Union Leader's "Disgraceful Policy" | 13 comments

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