Straight Dudes in New Zealand Got Married For Rugby World Cup Tickets and Everyone is Pissed

The Edge* is New Zealand’s “#1 radio station” did a wacky morning show radio thing and offered free Rugby World Cup tickets to two straight blokes to get married. The stunt did not sit well with gay marriage advocacy groups; the Sydney Morning Herald spoke to several who were critical:

"Shelly Argent, a spokesperson for Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, said the stunt was in poor taste. “This is two straight men who have done a wonderful job of trivialising marriage on their own,” she said. “I hope it takes them quite a while to get the marriage annulled.”"

And, as one may expect, there were critics to the critics:

"Bob McCoskrie, director of the conservative NZ lobby group Family First, said condemnation of the radio stunt by gay rights groups was ironic. “This competition makes a mockery of marriage, but so did the redefining of marriage,” he said. He described gay matrimony as “an arrogant act of cultural vandalism”."

“An arrogant act of cultural vandalism” is a descriptor with endless possibilities.

*Not to be confused with the radio station in every other market in the entire world named The Edge that is #1 in its respective genre.