More than 100 gay and heterosexual parents, children and supporters gathered in front of the Register-Guard’s office building Thursday morning to protest the newspaper’s policy against printing birth announcements for same-sex couples.
Todd Simmons, chair of the EQuality Network, a social and political organization for the local LGBTQ community, said the rally was intended to raise awareness of the Register-Guard’s policy, organize support and encourage people to speak out. The issue was not about same-sex couples, he said; ll couples should be able to have the births of their children announced.
“We would like a newspaper that recognizes all mothers, all fathers and all children,” Simmons said.
The Register-Guard’s current policy is to print only the names of the baby’s biological parents. Other Oregon newspapers such as The Oregonian and The Springfield News currently publish birth announcements for same-sex couples.
The Register-Guard management declined to comment on the issue, but issued a press release saying they would not change their policy because it applies equally to gay and heterosexual couples in domestic partnerships.
“We seem to be in a no-win situation here,” said the Register-Guard’s managing editor Dave Baker in the release. “If we publish in our announcements that two women, or two men, had a baby, many readers will fault us for inaccuracy. If we don’t allow non-biological parents in the listings, we’re accused of being unfair.”
Simmons said the group waited a year to hold the rally in order to give The Register-Guard’s management ample time to revisit their policy.
“Eugene is generally a progressive community,” Simmons said. “You would guess that The Register-Guard would be in step with our community values, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
The Register-Guard has also been criticized for deleting the names of non-biological parents in birth announcements without seeking permission from the couple.
Simmons said the Register-Guard’s policy was brought to the attention of the EQuality Network when member Sharon Flynn had a child with her partner Rebecca Flynn in May 2005 by using a sperm donor who had signed away the parental rights.
The Flynns told the Emerald in March that when Sharon gave birth to their daughter at Sacred Heart Medical Center, a hospital official notified them about placing a birth announcement, but later told them that it wouldn’t be published because of the policy. After contacting the newspaper the couple learned that the newspaper was only willing to publish an announcement listing Sharon Flynn and the name of the sperm donor, but the Flynns declined.
Simmons and Sharon Flynn said they contacted representatives from The Register-Guard, including editor and publisher Tony Baker and Dave Baker through phone calls and e-mails to request a meeting with them on the policy, but they said the newspaper stopped responding.
“We tried to have constructive dialogue with The Register-Guard, but after a while they stopped returning our calls,” Sharon Flynn said.
After the rally, participants delivered 180 signatures on a petition requesting that the newspaper change their policy, and many also requested to cancel their subscriptions. Flynn said the receptionists said they would pass along the collected signatures to the Baker family.
Although The Register-Guard’s office staff initially said subscriptions needed to be canceled over the phone, rally participants were ultimately allowed to cancel their newspaper delivery, said Sally Sheklow EQuality Network vice-chairwoman.
Sheklow said she chose to cancel her daily copy until the newspaper changes its policy, and said she had decided to contact advertisers about the newspaper’s policies and possibly stop using their services.
“I think it’s appropriate, considering that their denying our existence,” Sheklow said. “What’s the harm in acknowledging what is real?”
Sheklow said she thought the turnout and the positive atmosphere at the rally was evidence that the issue was winnable for them.
Simmons said the next steps were to keep gathering signatures from community members and to hopefully have a meeting with the Register-Guard. He said they would also continue collecting signatures throughout the summer.
EQuality Network organized the rally and contacted supportive groups in Eugene and Springfield.
Simmons and Sharon Flynn both spoke at the rally in addition to Elise Self, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays chapter co-president, and Revs. Dennis Parker and Joan Pierson of the Religious Response Network.
“We will step up until they change their policy,” Sharon Flynn said. “This is not the end, this is only the beginning.”