On CNN Newsroom, Same-Sex Marriage Is the Major Story of the Day
A possible debt ceiling crisis? Mass murder in Norway? These are important stories, but Sunday on the 6:00 pm EDT hour of CNN Newsroom they took a backseat to the first day of legalized same-sex marriage in New York.
Openly-gay anchor Don Lemon devoted much of the hour's coverage to the same-sex marriages, highlighting one conducted by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Less than ten minutes were spent on a potential debt ceiling deal in Washington, and the terrorist attacks in Norway warranted even less air time.
"This hour, you're going to be a guest at a gay wedding in New York City," Lemon told his audience.
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"Oh boy, it's an historic day in New York. Same-sex marriages begin," Lemon gleefully introduced his newscast. In the interest of balance, he did report on a demonstration protesting same-sex marriage, but only for a minute.
He also hosted a panel including guests who supported the same-sex marriage law in New York. Will Cain of National Review was his "conservative" guest, but Cain has identified himself in the past to be supportive of the right of same-sex couples to marry.
Lemon later conducted two sympathetic interviews with same-sex couples, and devoted most of the second half-hour to same-sex marriages and the Gracie Mansion event at which Mayor Bloomberg married two of his aides.
So fascinating was this marriage that Lemon and CNN carried it several minutes into the next hour. Lemon wrapped up the coverage with a gushing farewell. "It was a beautiful ceremony. You got to love a wedding if it's - whether it's an opposite, couples of opposite - opposite sex or same sex. Weddings are always beautiful and it's nice. Congratulations to them. We hope they're together for a long time, many happy years.
