“I’m surprised in this day and age a newspaper is refusing to publish this,” Wilson said. “I was hoping they would be willing to share in our excitement. We even asked if they would publish it as a commitment ceremony instead of a wedding. We just wanted to share the news with everyone in Rachel’s hometown.”
The Macon Telegraph did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Hussey, 22, and Wilson, 24, live in Norfolk, Va., and same-sex marriage is not legal there, either. They plan to hold a wedding ceremony on Aug. 25 with a reverend presiding and friends and family gathered for a celebration at a nature preserve in Norfolk. In September, the couple will visit Washington, D.C., where same-sex marriage is legal and tie the knot again — legally.
“We’re just frustrated. It’s Pride month. People from Barack Obama to Brad Pitt to Clint Eastwood say they support same-sex marriage. And while Macon is not the most progressive city, it’s still a shame they won’t recognize our union,” Wilson said.
They have submitted their announcement to the Virginian-Pilot newspaper and so far haven’t received any news that it won’t be published, Wilson added.
The two met on Craigslist and became friends before they started a romantic relationship and have been together two years. Wilson said she proposed to Kimberly when they visited Asheville, N.C., over the New Year holiday.
“We went to a waterfall outside of the city called Looking Glass Falls and I proposed,” Wilson said, adding she gave Kimberly a ring with blue topaz and diamonds. On Valentine’s Day, Hussey gave Wilson a ring with a purple amethyst and diamonds.
Wilson said she understands her incident is not a major issue in the grand scheme of the LGBT equality movement, but it still hurts to be rejected for who you are.
“We know we’re denied benefits, but we’re not used to a newspaper shutting us down,” Wilson said.
Read more about their wedding here. Their announcement:
Rachel Kimberly Hussey of Macon, Georgia, and Laura Lee Wilson of Richmond, Virginia, will be married on August 25 at the Fred Heutte Center in Norfolk, Virginia. Rachel is the daughter of Geoff Hussey of Macon and Terri and Clay Hall of Chesapeake, Virginia. Laura is the daughter of John and Mary Wilson of Richmond, Virginia. The couple resides in Norfolk with their animal companions and is traveling to Costa Rica for their honeymoon. A legal ceremony in Washington, DC is planned.
Photo: Rachel Hussey (right) of Macon, Ga., and her future wife, Laura Wilson, wish to have their wedding announcement published in the Macon Telegraph. (Courtesy photo)