Gay couple loses
lawsuit over advertisement photo

An Oregon judge has thrown out a lawsuit brought by a gay couple who charged that a photo taken at their wedding was used illegally in an attack ad by a conservative group, the New York Sun reported Monday. Judge Reggis Walton said the antigay group, United Seniors Association, did not violate the law when it ran the photo without getting permission. The photo appeared in an Internet ad in February 2005 condemning the American Association of Retired Persons, the newspaper reported. The ad was part of a campaign United Seniors launched last winter to criticize AARP for opposing President Bush's plan to change Social Security. "While the defendants' unauthorized use of the plaintiffs' photograph cannot be considered the pinnacle of decency and good taste, this court cannot conclude that it violated Oregon civil law," the judge wrote. The ruling reversed a temporary restraining order he issued in March 2005 barring United Seniors from using the image of the couple. (Advocate.com)