Gay Couples Get Crack at Today Show Wedding

The Today show will open its annual “Modern Day Wedding” contest to gay couples, NBC has announced, bowing to activist pressure. The gay rights group GLAAD launched a campaign to change the contest last week, the New York Times explains, after discovering the application had options only for “bride” and “groom.” NBC originally tried to argue that gay couples couldn’t be married in New York, but GLAAD pointed out that New York honors out-of-state marriage licenses.

“NBC mistakenly equated the marriage license with the wedding celebration,” GLAAD wrote. NBC asked to meet with the activists on Wednesday, and yesterday announced the change of heart. “Our intent was not to be discriminatory or exclusive,” the network said in a statement. “Today is a longtime supporter of the LGBT community, and GLAAD considers us an ally.” (More Today show stories.)