Bravo for treating married couple like any other married couple

This morning my husband, Mike, asks me, “So should I cancel The News-Times?” With guilt and a sigh, I answer, “Yup.” I want to support local newspapers, which is why we’ve continued to subscribe but too many times it was going into the recycling bin unread.

Ten minutes later, my husband throws the front page of the paper down in front of me and my Cheerios.

“I don’t think I can cancel this paper. Read the bottom article.” The headline read: “Local couple’s TV debut pulled.” I’m reading it, thinking there must be something funny he wants me to see. Nope.

“Do you see ‘gay couple’ in that article anywhere?” he asks. Nope. Nothing. Just a human interest piece involving a game show and two married men described as a couple, described as husbands with mothers, with friends, family, like any other loving, committed, everyday couple. Wow! That’s progress.

There are times when it’s so important to mention sexual orientation — when we are fighting for rights, when people who have been invisible need to be seen and acknowledged and any time people ask to be identified. But on a plain old Thursday morning, to pick up my local newspaper and read a little article about two married men getting bumped on a game show and have them be described like any other plain old couple brought this mom of LGBTQ kids to tears.

Bravo, News-Times! You’ve earned subscribers for life! Jen Sage-Robison Bethel