'Today' Will Allow Same-Sex Couples to Enter Wedding Contest

It's a brand new day on the 'Today' show: According to The Wrap, NBC is changing the rules for its morning show's annual wedding contest in order to allow same-sex couples to apply.

The contest, dubbed "Modern Day Weddings," offers one winning couple an all-expenses paid wedding to be broadcast live on 'Today.' Previously, same-sex couples were barred from entering because NBC reasoned that "the couple must be able to be legally married in New York, which is where the wedding will take place."

But following a campaign by gay rights organization GLAAD (The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), which saw NBC inundated with thousands of letters, emails and tweets decrying the rigid rules, the network has agreed to change the contest's eligibility to an all-inclusive scope.
While it's true that gay nuptials aren't legal in New York, the state does recognize same-sex marriage licenses from other jurisdictions, and therein lay the flaw in NBC's rules.

GLAAD representatives apparently met with NBC execs on Thursday following the passionate letter campaign, pointing out that NBC could "easily" ensure that a winning gay couple obtained their marriage license elsewhere before holding the ceremony on air at Rockerfeller Center.

GLAAD president Jarett Barrios praised the network for amending its rules: "NBC heard GLAAD and the thousands of viewers who contacted them. And they have moved to make their contest a truly modern wedding where any couple can share their story," he said.

None of this guarantees that viewers will see a same-sex marriage on the 'Today Show,' though; NBC narrows thousands of applications down to just four couples, and the contest is then put down to a public vote. Still, it's a small but meaningful step forward in the fight for marriage equality that many gay rights supporters are campaigning for.

Couples of any sexual orientation can now apply for the "Modern Day Weddings" contest through Jul. 12.