A U.K. newspaper tried to turn a trans couple’s wedding day into a horrible joke with a front-page photograph of the pair and a really offensive headline.
The Sun, one of Britain’s largest papers, headlines its Tuesday article about the nuptials of Army officer Hannah Winterbourne and actor Jake Graf, “Tran and wife.” The cover of the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid also features pictures of the couple before they transitioned.
Graf called the display “sensationalised and misleading,” while Winterbourne defended their identities, saying she has “always been a woman and Jake has always been a man.” Other people on Twitter denounced the newspaper.
The couple took no issue with the paper’s article about them, which Graf called “lovely” and “positive.”
Graf told HuffPost UK that he and Hannah “only had the intention of putting out a hopeful, happy and honest story about a couple who happen to be transgender finding love.
“Hopefully that will still be the case and their [The Sun’s] readers will be able to take something good away from it,” he said.
Many people defended the couple on social media:
One supporter tweaked the newspaper cover:
The Sun “put this story on a front page in order to celebrate a wonderful modern romance,” a spokesperson for the paper said in a statement to HuffPost UK.
“I want to emphasize that there was no intention to offend, and we wish them both the very best for the rest of their happy lives together,” the spokesperson said. “We are confident that our readers, especially after reading the piece, will join us in wishing them the same.”
The writer of the article, Emma Pietras, did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
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