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Hundreds Sign Today Petition to Include Gays


TODAY SHOW LOGO CAST X390 (FAIR PUBLCITY) | ADVOCATE.COM

More than 500 people have signed a petition calling for NBC's Today show to include gay and lesbian couples in its Modern Day Wedding Contest.

The contest gives away an all-expenses-paid wedding, to be broadcast on the show in October, as well as a fully paid-for honeymoon. However, the show's producers said same-sex couples are not eligible to enter the contest because the wedding must legally take place in New York, a state that does not have marriage equality.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation says the network is “mistakenly equating the marriage license with the wedding celebration.” A statement from the organization points out that New York recognizes marriages for same-sex couples performed outside of the state, including nearby states Vermont and Connecticut.

“Today Show’s ‘Modern Wedding Contest’ should recognize what most fair-minded Americans have already concluded — a wedding celebrates love and commitment, whether the spouses are straight or gay,” GLAAD president  Jarrett Barrios said in a statement. “NBC should stop denying gay and lesbian couples the ability to share their stories of love and commitment and open its wedding contest to all couples.”

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Reader Comments
  • Name: melissa parker
    Date posted: 7/8/2010 7:30:10 AM
    Hometown: eliot, ME

    Comment:

    petition link . . . btw the numbers are up over 3000 now http://www.change.org/glaad/petitions/view/call_on_nbc_to_open_today_show_modern_day_wedding_contest_to_same-sex_couples

  • Name: Chris W
    Date posted: 7/7/2010 2:32:16 PM
    Hometown: Washington, DC

    Comment:

    Editorial staff: If you are really our Advocate, please include a link to where we can sgn the petition! 500 signatures is so pathetically low for something that could have such a positive impact for our community! Any other readers know where to sign on to the petition? Thanks!

  • Name: BobNYC
    Date posted: 7/7/2010 2:24:12 PM
    Hometown: New York City

    Comment:

    500 Signatures? Oh that will surely impress a show that has 4.9 million viewers. Oooooo, they must be shaking in their boots that 500 people protested. Stupid stupid stupid waste of time.

  • Name: GR
    Date posted: 7/7/2010 8:53:56 AM
    Hometown: Brooklyn

    Comment:

    Lady Gaga is performing at Today's Friday concert series. She puts herself out there as an Advocate for the glbt community. She should say something against the ban if she really is in support of the community. Something tells me she won't though because she's in business to sell singles. Don't get me wrong I like her and bop along to her songs on the bus ride to work but I'm always hesitant to look at any celebrity as a savior ever since that AA meeting where they made Lindsay Lohan my sponsor.

  • Name: Rej
    Date posted: 7/6/2010 8:55:27 PM
    Hometown: Denver

    Comment:

    Even though I have many years in broadcasting (mostly with NBC affilliates), I can't say with certainty whether this is the 'excuse' or the actual 'reason'. I suspect it is the excuse. So, while keeping up the pressure on NBC is a good idea, the REAL pressure must be exerted on the NY LEGISLATURE to pass marriage equality. There is an old saying about the Today Show: "NBC does the Today Show for New York, the rest of us just get to watch." (This attitude isn't just limited to NBC, btw.) Now, since this was put out by NBC as their rationale and it is reasonable to assume that marriage equality will be the law of NY within a few years, it will be interesting to see what happens when, that is in fact the case. One thing you can be certain of, when NBC does open up the contest to same-gender couples (assuming they KEEP it after the change), a same-gender couple will NOT be a winner for awhile. Because while they do the show for NYC, they are VERY aware of the viewers in the midwest.

  • Name: CJ
    Date posted: 7/6/2010 7:55:18 PM
    Hometown: SF

    Comment:

    They should set an example, like Google. Even though the law doesn't allow it in New York, they could award the marriage prize in a state that DOES permit same-sex marriage. It would be their way of taking a stand on discrimination. But, maybe they don't want to be seen as too opinionated or biased b/c they're supposed to be "independent" as a "news" station. (NBC independent? lol)

  • Name: Daniel
    Date posted: 7/6/2010 5:55:32 PM
    Hometown: Boston

    Comment:

    @jer-I think that they have answered that question, and they have said no. They can withhold a moral judgement until a legal one has been made. I do belive people should make themselves heard. I protested and made many calls for gay marriage in Ma, which I am proud to have made a small difference.

  • Name: doug
    Date posted: 7/6/2010 4:58:58 PM
    Hometown: vb

    Comment:

    Are any of the NY Gay marriage group planning any protests- Today has a street window- they could easily go to the studio and hold up signs there....

  • Name: jer
    Date posted: 7/6/2010 4:43:43 PM
    Hometown: LA

    Comment:

    Daniel, if you've read the Sunday NYTs, they feature NY gay couples wedding announcements all the time. These couples just travel to Iowa, or a nearby state to have thier wedding. And the question is not whether Today must include gay couples, but rather, should they feel ethically provoked to do so.

  • Name: Daniel
    Date posted: 7/6/2010 4:18:53 PM
    Hometown: Boston

    Comment:

    While I think the effort is comendible and I disagree with NBC- I do wonder why this year is getting so much attention. NBC has this contest every year and gay marriage isn't legal in NY where the marriage must take place. I think raising awareness is great and I hope they change their minds at NBC. I do not feel however that they have to amend their policy when marriage isn't (as crazy as it is ) not legal in NY.



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