Readers Boycott Conway Newspaper over Gay Couple’s Yard Sale Ad

conway-yardsale

The Log Cabin Democrat, Conway’s daily newspaper, sparked outrage and protest among its readers this week when it published a gay couple’s yard sale advertisement.

The newspaper is no stranger to this kind of backlash; readers responded similarly to a lesbian couple’s wedding announcement in October.

Brenda Malloy, a former subscriber, said she was given no indication that the sale was at a “gay house.” She did, however, grow suspicious shortly after arriving at the residence on College Avenue.

“I went looking for some overalls and sweatpants for my husband and immediately realized the clothes were too fashionable for the two men to just be roommates,” Malloy said. “I also saw a whole season of ‘Will and Grace’ DVDs for sale—it’s one of those telltale signs.”

Malloy promptly left the yard sale, canceled her subscription to the Log Cabin Democrat and encouraged her friends to do the same. She said she would consider becoming a reader again if the newspaper began printing gay couples’ yard sale advertisements with scarlet ink to “give readers some warning.”

It is unlikely this policy will be adopted. Ricky Duke, editor of the Log Cabin Democrat, said his staff is too busy responding to comments from disgruntled readers on the newspaper’s website to research the sexual orientations of people who purchase classified ads. “It’s a wonder that we even have time to do any reporting,” Duke said.

Dustin Simmons, one of the men who organized the yard sale, said he and his partner harbor no ill will over the whole ordeal.

“There was a group of protestors on our front lawn for a day or so, but they ended up buying most of the stuff we had for sale,” Simmons said. “We even became friends with a few closeted ‘Will and Grace’ fans.”

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Readers Boycott Conway Newspaper over Gay Couple’s Yard Sale Ad