In another example of print media allowing itself to be unduly influenced by Facebook/Twitter bullshit, the Omaha World-Herald says it will no longer refuse to publish same-sex wedding announcements:---

As the paper's statement goes:

The “Celebrations” page of the Omaha World-Herald has provided a place to buy space to celebrate weddings, engagements, anniversaries and birthdays. It will continue to be just that. Celebrations announcements regarding legal weddings, engagements for legal weddings or anniversaries of a legal marriage will be welcomed, regardless of the genders of the couple. We will not run announcements regarding commitment ceremonies, partnerships and other non-marriage unions, again regardless of gender. [Bold emphasis added.]

Apparently, there was a big stink on The Intarwebs over the World-Herald's policy of refusing gay and lesbian wedding notices submitted by couples who, for some reason, wished to pay for an announcement in a daily mainstream newspaper that officially refuses to recognize marriage equality. Perhaps the fact that the W-H is the largest daily paper in a state which constitutionally forbids recognition of gay and lesbian marriages adds to its glamor.

The newspaper's announcement must be good news for all those gay and lesbian Cornhuskers who somehow manage to form legally recognized marriages in Nebraska. But since, as in Utah, there are no such legal marriages in Nebraska, the paper's statement comes across as a hollow, bitter jest. Its policy hasn't changed. Until Nebraska recognizes marriage equality (that is, when pigs fly), the World-Herald is still not publishing any gay and lesbian wedding announcements, much to the sorrow of its ad-sales staff. (For what it's worth, Dave and I never dreamed of buying an ad in the Deseret News to announce our illegal-in-Utah nuptials.) 

My question is: Why did the World-Herald pretend to cave to Internet pressure in the first place? Last week, the paper seemed to be taking a principled (if misguided) position on the same-sex marriage issue. Today, it has caved to a bunch of random online yahoos who made its editorial policy into their social-networking cause du jour.

If the Omaha World-Herald wants to be one of the last bastions of anti-gay sentiment, I say it should hold on to that anti-gay sentiment as fervently as it can. Be free! Express your backward views with pride! Gay and lesbian Nebraskans can find a bunch of other newspapers that are willing to accept money for nuptial ads. As the world moves on, the Omaha World-Herald will lose its relevance, but at least it will be standing up for what it believes in, rather than giving in to silly social-networking pressure.

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