Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Catholic university forced to back down after denying lesbian couple's entry into Valentine's Day contest

A Catholic university in Philadelphia has been forced to back down after stopping a lesbian couple from taking part in its Valentine's Day competition.

Megan Edwards and Katie MacTurk, who met at Saint Joseph's University, had attempted to enter its alumni association's contest looking for the best love story between former students.

The recently engaged couple claim they were told that their submission was unacceptable because 'the Catholic Church does not recognise same-sex marriage'. 

'Our alma mater told us that we are not really, fully part of the SJU community. Words cannot express the disappointment and sadness we felt after hearing this', the couple from Philadelphia wrote in a Facebook post.

They went onto appeal to the SJU 'family' to help 'ensure that all alumni are treated fairly and equally' by sharing their post. 

The 'How I Met My Hawk Mate' contest awards a $100 restaurant gift card to the couple whose 'love story' receives the most 'likes' on the association's Facebook page by February 14.

An angry backlash was prompted by news of the rejection which saw the social networking page become inundated with complaints over the treatment of the couple, reports Philly.com.

The university, after first receiving their entry on January 26, eventually gave in under the pressure and added the couple to the contest on Thursday.

In a post on the Facebook page, SJU claimed to be 'a welcoming, inclusive community' which focuses 'on respect and caring for all individuals as individuals.'

The post also reiterates Saint Joseph’s University fully supports and is in agreement with the Catholic Church’s teachings regarding homosexuality and same sex marriage'

The couple, who plan to marry next year, were overjoyed to finally see their picture with their love story and how they met posted on the competition's page along with the other entries.

On her Facebook page, Miss MacTurk thanked everyone for their backing on the issue which eventually forced the university to allow their entry.

'Thank you everyone for the outpouring of support - I am truly amazed at how many friends, old and new, have reached out and expressed their love and support! THANK YOU!' she wrote.

Within just 18 hours of their picture and 'love story' being posted on the page, the couple already received over 2000 likes, more than 1000 ahead of their nearest competitor. 

Miss MacTurk told NBC10 the support they had received had been overwhelming.

The winner of the 'How I Met My Hawk Mate' contest will be announced on February 14.