WARRENSBURG, Mo.—Three advertisers are pulling their business from a Warrensburg, Mo., newspaper and several readers are threatening to cancel their subscriptions after the publication of a same-sex engagement announcement.

For John Scott Jr., 29, and Elijah Davidson, 29, asking The Daily Star-Journal in Warrensburg to run a photo and announcement of their Nov. 13 commitment ceremony was all about equality.

“I want people to know that he makes me happy, and all we want is to be happy just like straight couples,” Davidson, of Warrensburg, said.

Such announcements have become increasingly common. About 900 daily newspapers ran same-sex commitment announcements by the end of 2006, according to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

The Daily Star-Journal ran the Scott-Davidson announcement on Sept. 26. Since then, the paper has received more than a dozen letters for and against the announcement.