Covering Kisses

[Ian David]

Issue Date: 2/22/2007, Posted On: 2/22/2007
Media watch
Susan Ryan-Vollmar
[e-mail]

<snip>

Covering kisses
Speaking of public displays of affection, Brockton mayoral candidate Jass Stewart has been getting some grief for his wedding photo, which shows him kissing spouse Denzil Paul. On Feb. 15, the Brockton Enterprise published a short report about the online “chatter” the photo has been generating at InBrockton.com. The photo was taken by a friend of the couple’s who owns a card company. It has been turned into a greeting card and can be seen online at the website of Honey Brown Cards, which bills itself as a company selling “cards for gay occasions.”

The Enterprise piece notes that some of the posts about the photo “said gossip about the picture is an attempt to smear Stewart to make it harder for him to get elected mayor.”

Is this a legitimate news story or is it a 257-word hit job spreading controversy about Stewart’s wedding picture? That’s easy. It’s a news story.

As noted above, public displays of affection are where the rubber hits the road for societal acceptance of gays.

Straightforward media depictions of affection between two women or two men are still relatively rare even in this post-Goodridge era. Gossip about his wedding photo (which is gorgeous, by the way) is something that Stewart, like it or not, will have to confront in his campaign. And it’s something the Enterprise needs to cover — because it’s a political issue.



Stewart (right) and Paul have been getting grief for their wedding photo lip-lock. Photo: Honey Brown Cards.

More:
http://baywindows.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=008EC9FBCFF24AD18614290016BE1303&nm=Current+Issue&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&AudID=0813BC739F2044E5A03DCF2DE3FDF7C9&tier=4&id=A165436960264CB99051D5DD3575B3B2