Newspaper Sued Over Same-Sex Wedding Notice

A judge is considering a lawsuit filed by a lesbian couple seeking to force Oregon’s largest daily newspaper to publish a same-sex wedding announcement.

Sandra Linebarier and Charlene Morris argued in court Friday that restricting such announcements to state-licensed marriages is discriminatory.

But Sandra Mims Rowe, editor of The Oregonian, said the newspaper does not discriminate against gays and lesbians.

The newspaper, in choosing to publish wedding announcements, follows “the state’s definition of marriage as a contract between a man and a woman, requiring a license from the state,” she said.

“We do not publish commitment ceremonies of any kind, either homosexual or heterosexual,” she added.

“The significant issue here is whether any individual can decide for the newspaper what it is going to publish,” Mims Rowe said. “On its face, that would be a violation of the First Amendment.”

The newspaper’s attorney, Charles F. Hinkle, said wedding notices are considered news and as such are constitutionally protected as free speech.

Renee Jacobs, an attorney for the couple, said the free service should be available to everyone.