Today show reverses course and allows gay couples in
wedding contest

NBC announced on Wednesday that gay and lesbian couples would be allowed to enter a wedding contest on the Today show, revising its initial criteria that said all couples must consist of "a male and a female." NBC publicist Lauren Kapp told the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation that the submission criteria for "Today Throws a Hometown Wedding" had been changed and as of Thursday the rules, available on the NBC Web site, had been updated to specify "currently engaged couples," omitting the one male and one female clause. "Fairness, inclusion, and equal opportunity are core American values, and NBC's decision to open Today's wedding series to gay and lesbian couples is an important affirmation of those values," said GLAAD director of media programs and communications Glennda Testone. "By accepting eligible same-sex couples into one of its flagship programs, NBC--like the more than 500 newspapers across America that now accept gay and lesbian wedding announcements--is reflecting the reality of the world around us."