Apparently, the Washington Post printed the following photograph of Jeremy Ames and Taka Ariga kissing on the front-page of their paper last Thursday where it wound up on unsuspecting Washingtonian’s breakfast tables. Hopefully, you saw our own TerranceDC’s coverage of the event. He and his partner were 12th in line at the Moultrie courthouse to sign up for a marriage license.
Apparently, homophobic outrage at seeing the front-page picture was sufficient to cause enraged letters and cancellations all the way through this Monday. It even warranted a pitch-perfect response from the ombudsman.
Did the Post go too far? Of course not. The photo deserved to be in newspaper and on its Web site, and it warranted front-page display.
News photos capture reality. And the prominent display reflects the historic significance of what was occurring. The recent D.C. Council decision to approve same-sex marriage was the culmination of a decades-long gay rights fight for equality. Same-sex marriage is now legal in the District. The photo of Ames and Ariga kissing simply showed joy that would be exhibited by any couple planning to wed – especially a couple who previously had been denied the legal right to marry.
There was a time, after court-ordered integration, when readers complained about front-page photos of blacks mixing with whites. Today, photo images of same-sex couples capture the same reality of societal change.
Looking over some of the responses, I couldn’t help thinking to myself how nauseating it is to look from my morning oatmeal to the Post’s opinion page where I am subjected to the wisdom of Charles Krauthammer, Michael Gerson, George Will, William Kristol, Fred Hiatt, Richard Cohen, David Broder, Marc Theissen, Kathleen Parker, Robert Kagan, Ruth Marcus, and Dana Milbank, among others. Where is the outpouring of rage over those idiots’ collective output of dishonest hackery and drivel?
Holy Shit! I swear I didn’t see this before writing this column. I’ve been birthday partying all day. Like minds. It’s amazing.
Just saw Marc Thiessen on the Daily Show promoting Liz Cheney’s meme. Why can the WaPo not print a pic of two men kissing if it can print the political porn of a Thiessen or a Krauthammer??
but I have my own article, and read about one het couple who decided not to get married until gays could and came that day to celebrate with everyone else. There’s a sign that the prospective bride raised at the courthouse: “Love Wins.”
It sure did. Finally. And people are going to have to keep fighting to prevent it from being repealed.
Boo to Marion Barry and Bishop Jackson…on the wrong side of life.
I was hoping TerranceDC would publish his wedding picture.
I guess that’s a personal decision. He has children after all and has to be concerned about crazies. But I am sure that if he does post wedding photos they will be much appreciated by this community.
I hate this country…
No outrage at torture apologia, but plenty of cancellations because the Post is reporting news. Oh noes!
Gay!!!
Fuck off, bigots. Make yourself useful and protest the disgusting treatment of our prisoners, and Obama’s lack of will to do anything about it.
On the same wavelength, here’s a wonderful video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSKcq5U_MLs
I’ll bet half of them don’t even subscribe.
blauuuuugh boo i don’t know how you can stomach that crap. i guess it’s kind of your job, but i don’t envy having to read that every day.
Teh gay — its coming! Run for your lives!
While I’m very, very happy for the people in D.C., it just reinforces my sadness and disappointment that the gay people I know in this area and who are in very committed, long term and loving relationships cannot enjoy the same right as the fortunate couple of the front page of the Post.
Truly shameful that this inequity still exists in this country.
We were discussing this yesterday and several parents pulled out the old “I don’t want to be forced to explain homosexuality to my kids because of a newspaper” theme.
What explanation? Mom, two boys are kissing. Answer: they like each other. Wow, that was a hard explanation.
I guess they’re okay with front page pix of bloody murder victims or kids carried, grievously injured, from burning houses.
AND, this is what is correctly called a “chaste kiss.” See? Rigid lips, closed mouths, it’s a quick Have-a-good-day-honey peck. No overt passion or sexuality in this display of affection. It’s clear the photo editor picked the least “offensive” photo s/he could find. So people, get over your homophobic selves! I think hetero men in Europe greet each other on the street with more sensuality than this.
You’re right about the Europeans. Peck on the cheek, LOTS of physical contact. Men will even dance together in the same platonic way that women do here. Why are Americans such prudes?
Thanks for the smile.