Today Show Agrees To Allow Same-Sex Couples In Wedding Contest
After a meeting with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, NBC announced that it would permit same-sex couples to participate in the “Modern Love’ wedding contest on Today and extended the deadline for the contest until Monday, July 12. The news was first reported by TVNewser.
Here’s the statement from Today:
Over the past few days TODAY has received a considerable response regarding our wedding contest application. The rules stated that eligible couples must be able to be legally married in New York, where we will host the wedding, therefore excluding same-sex couple applicants. Our intent was not to be discriminatory or exclusive. In 2005 when the wedding took place outside of New York, the application process was open to same-sex couples. We have listened to every voicemail and read every email. We take this feedback seriously, and we will change our application process. TODAY is a longtime supporter of the LGBT community, and GLAAD considers us an ally. We are committed to keeping those relationships strong and positive. We have opened up the application process to same-sex couples, and will extend the deadline to Monday, July 12. Moving forward, we ensure that our future wedding contests will be inclusive of all couples.
The change came after a meeting between GLAAD and Today was held to deal with the disagreement. Earlier this week, GLAAD announced an action alert about the contest after learning about the exclusion from the blog Good as You. Today had argued that it couldn’t include same-sex couples because same-sex marriage is not permitted under New York law, where the Rockefeller Center wedding is set to take place.
GLAAD told its followers that it was pleased with the decision. In a note from GLAAD head Jarrett Barrios, the organization said:
We’re thrilled that Today Show’s ‘Modern Wedding Contest’ now recognizes what most fair-minded Americans have already concluded – a wedding celebrates love and commitment, whether the spouses are straight or gay. NBC heard the thousands of viewers who contacted them and they have moved to make their contest a truly modern wedding where any couple can share their story. NBC is living up to its own high standard of fairness and for this, we applaud them
