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Saint Joseph’s University Alumni Association has reconsidered a decision to exclude lesbian couple Megan Edwards and Katie McTurk from a Valentine’s Day contest hosted on the association’s Facebook page, Daily Mail reports.
Edwards and McTurk, who recently got engaged, met during their time at Saint Joseph’s in Philadelphia. They wanted to enter the Alumni Association’s How I Met My Hawk Mate contest, looking for the best love story between former students.
After entering the contest, the couple was told that their submission would not be posted for other alumni to vote on, as “the Catholic Church does not recognize same-sex marriage.”
The couple posted about the response from the association on their Facebook pages, noting, “Words cannot express the disappointment and sadness we felt after hearing this.” They also asked their friends and other alumni to share their post, to help “ensure that all alumni are treated fairly and equally.”
The contest awards a $100 restaurant gift card to couple with the most “Likes” on the Alumni Association Facebook page by February 14.
The SJU Alumni Association page quickly filled with posts complaining about the treatment of the lesbian couple. The entry has since been added to the contest.
McTurk posted an update thanking everyone for their support on the issue, which played a major part in the university eventually allowing their participation in the contest.
“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 18 hours of their photo and story being posted on the Alumni Association page the couple had already received over 2,000 “Likes,” over 1,000 more than the second place couple, according to Daily Mail.
