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NY
Times Prints First Gay Union Announcement |
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by
Jean-Pierre O'Brien Posted:
September 2, 2002 |
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The Times, the most influential newspaper in the US, announced last month that it would begin making same-sex union announcements. The two-day, two country, two ceremony union of Daniel Gross and Steven Goldstein was fitting for the first foray by the Times into gay nuptials. It may have been the most extravagant gay ceremony ever held. It began on Saturday in Montreal, with a lavish ceremony and reception for 180 guests at the Museum of Fine Arts. On Sunday the entourage moved to Vermont for a second ceremony and reception. "Ten years ago, none of this would have been possible," Goldstein said. Goldstein, 40, owner of a public affairs consulting firm in New York and co-manager of Jon Corzine's successful 2000 campaign for the U.S. Senate from New Jersey, and Gross, 32, a vice president of GE Capital, met in October 1992 through a personal ad. Guests flew into Montreal for the religious ceremony Saturday night, performed by Rabbi David Steinberg of Temple Beth Israel in nearby Plattsburgh, N.Y. Reform Judaism recognizes same-sex relationships. "They have built a Jewish home together," he said later of the couple. "They lead a Jewish life, and they've just had a Jewish wedding. I think it absolutely strengthens the Jewish community." But why did the New York couple go to Montreal for the religious ceremony? "We couldn't find anything that was sufficiently fabulous," said Gross. "We thought it would be wonderful to do the civil piece in Vermont, but to have all our guests travel to Montreal, to such a world-class city, where people would be excited to come." Gross said he and Goldstein have visited the city 12 times over the past year to prepare for the wedding. "We really have become honourary Montrealers. We love your city," Gross said. "Every hotel, vendor, caterer has treated us with respect, with more than tolerance. It's like an embrace." Quebec has a civil union registry which recognizes gay and lesbian unions with almost as much weight as heterosexual weddings. Marriage however, in Canada is still not legal. Sunday, the happy couple bussed their guests to Lake Champlain, Vermont, where a judge officiated at the second ceremony. Vermont is the only U.S. state that recognizes same-sex unions and has done so since July 1, 2000. Neither Gross nor Goldstein would say what the two-day event cost. Both the Montreal and Vermont ceremonies are recognized in New York City. Last week, New York became the first municipality in the US to recognize gay and lesbians union performed elsewhere. The Times changed the title of its "Weddings" page to "Weddings/Celebrations" to better reflect its new policy. There is no charge for coverage of weddings and same-sex unions, but the paper says it selects only those partnerships, straight or gay, which it feels are of interest to its readers. Usually they have been limited to society weddings. The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and San Francisco Chronicle are among other leading dailies that publish notices of same-sex unions. ©365Gay.com
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