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Today Tweets GLAAD: "We Are Listening"


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NBC’s Today show tweeted a message overnight to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to indicate the program’s producers are aware of the outcry resulting from their decision to hold a “modern” wedding contest that excludes gay and lesbian couples.

According to GLAAD spokesman Rich Ferraro, “Overnight the Today Show tweeted @glaad: todayshow: @glaad We are listening. A complicated issue. Here is a @Mediaite piece that offers some perspective: http://bit.ly/9at3K3 #LGBT.”

The article, by Michael Triplett, argues that Today is “in a bind,” because same-sex couples cannot legally marry in New York, even though the state recognizes legal same-sex marriages from other states and jurisdictions, including nearby Connecticut.

According to GLAAD, nearly 2,500 people have sent e-mails to Today, and the media watchdog organization will be reaching out to the show’s producers again Wednesday morning to discuss ways to hold an inclusive contest.

Late Wednesday, according to Ferrrao, Today requested to meet with GLAAD on Thursday. As of late Thursday morning, the meeting was underway.

Late this afternoon we heard back from the Today Show who requested a meeting with us tomorrow. We will keep you posted on the results. As noted in the blog below, glaad will be standing firm in urging the Today Show to do the right thing and open the contest to same-sex. GLAAD also urges couples to continue to submit stories of love and commitment that we can share with NBC (see second link). --Rich

The Modern Day Wedding Contest will award an all-expenses-paid wedding, to be broadcast on Today in October, and a fully paid-for honeymoon. The Manhattan-based show’s producers say the wedding must be able to legally take place in New York, which does not allow same-sex couples to marry.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: pepa
    Date posted: 7/8/2010 1:26:44 AM
    Hometown: surprise, az

    Comment:

    Liberal hypocrisy at its best.

  • Name: Fred Stanley
    Date posted: 7/7/2010 4:24:51 PM
    Hometown: Palm Springs, CA

    Comment:

    What a crock of bullshit!!!

  • Name: TanyaC
    Date posted: 7/7/2010 2:03:53 PM
    Hometown: Rockville, MD

    Comment:

    This is NOT an accurate post since it just reiterates the Today Show's logic. As GLAAD pointed out, the contest is awarding a wedding and not a marriage license. Many same-sex couples get marriage licenses in, for example, Connecticut, and then have a big wedding celebration in New York City. Today is acting as if such a same-sex wedding would be illegal. It's not illegal. It's perfectly legal. And the marriage, once licensed and exercised in state that confers it (like Connecticut), would be fully recognized by the State of New York. The Today Show is being very disingenuous here. Shame on them.

  • Name: Sal Ignab
    Date posted: 7/7/2010 1:06:19 PM
    Hometown: Los Angeles

    Comment:

    The wedding industry has an opportunity to weigh in on this, and they have just been silent. They are the ones sponsoring this contest, not the Today show. Maybe this will ignite them. Straight and gay couples alike should take their weddings to free states. I told my straight friends that I would love to go to their wedding, but I could only go if they had it in a free state. They instantly agreed, because they knew it was the right thing to do. Goodby Hawaii, hello D.C. !!!!

  • Name: Bob Smullen
    Date posted: 7/7/2010 12:17:15 PM
    Hometown: Hackensack, NJ

    Comment:

    New York may not be a free state, but freedom is available right next door in Connecticut, where Marriage Equality is the law of the land. I would guess that a good number of people who work on the Today Show probably commute from Connecticut, so the claim put forward by the Today Show that their hands are tied rings hollow in the halls of truth. Offer your wedding in the free state of Connecticut.

  • Name: Mark
    Date posted: 7/7/2010 12:15:43 PM
    Hometown: Tesuque, NM

    Comment:

    How about they go on the road for the event? It's not like the Today show has never taken its show on the road. CT and MA aren't that far away. By the way, Advocate, what is with the ad for A Single Man blocking the message block? Sheesh......

  • Name: Ted Smith
    Date posted: 7/7/2010 12:03:59 PM
    Hometown: Woodland Hills

    Comment:

    I agree that the Today Show is in a bind. I think NBC is a supportor of the LGBT community and agree that since gays can't marry in NY it doesn't make sense to include gays and lesbians in the contest. This is an issue for the people of NY to correct. As soon as gays can marry in NY, I'm sure the Today Show would have no issue including a gay and/or lesbian couple. This conflict will highlight the issue in NY.



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