The Nose hears there's good news on
Calvert Street for the
Sun 's
gay readership: The paper has lifted its separate-and-unequal policy that kept
same-sex union announcements relegated to its
Classifieds pages. The announcements will now appear alongside the hetero-wedding notices in the paper's
Celebrations section. This change comes almost three months after
The Sun ran its first same-sex commitment ceremony announcement in August, celebrating the union of
Ingrid Ankerson and partner
Megan Sapnar. There was an uproar from gay-rights activists (and the couple) when the missive was buried between notices for lost dogs and ads for tractors. Ankerson and Sapnar were aghast, and the
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation considered removing
The Sun from its list of newspapers that offer gay couples the opportunity to announce their unions. Even the
Sun's editorial department spoke out against the policy.
At the time, Mireille Grangenois, vice president of marketing for The Sun, said the policy was "a result of an ongoing discussion with our community, readers, and advertisers," and that placing the announcements in the Classifieds was "a way to give every couple a place to share news."
Apparently the community, readers, and advertisers have loosened up a little since then. Though there had been no further official requests by gay couples to announce commitment ceremonies in The Sun as of press time, the paper assures the Nose that any future same-sex union announcements will appear in Celebrations. When Grangenois was asked about the switch in policy, she said the change is "the result of ongoing discussion with our readers and advertisers" and "gives every couple a place to share personal news about the milestones in their lives."
Which leads the Nose to believe that while the Sun's policies may change, its rhetoric is eternal.
