Hundreds Sign Petition to Include Gays

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."