Wal-Mart warms to 'gay' weddings

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Wal-Mart's British subsidiary, Asda, has introduced a line of wedding cards and "commitment rings" to coincide with the country's legalization of gay civil unions, according to a published report Wednesday.

However, The New York Times said Wal-Mart critics are accusing the parent company of hypocrisy given Wal-Mart's strict store policies in the U.S. where the retailer, which tries to pitch itself as a family-friendly store, pulled a few racy magazines from its shelves or refused to sell some popular books such as "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops" by George Carlin because of controversial content.

The first gay and lesbian marriages in England will take place Dec. 21, the newspaper said. Asda, a food and clothing superstore that is wholly owned by Wal-Mart, this week began selling cards that read, "Wedding day wishes, Mrs. & Mrs.," and "Congratulations, Mr. & Mr."

http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/07/news/fortune500/walmartasda_gaywedding/