Hallmark: Gay ad back on

The Hallmark Channel on Sunday night apologized for its decision to remove a commercial featuring a lesbian wedding, and said it will work to reinstate the spot.

The network made the statement one day after it said it was removing the ad for the wedding-planning site Zola after outcry from a conservative advocacy group.

“We are truly sorry for the hurt and disappointment this has caused,” Mike Perry, President and CEO of Hallmark Cards, said.

The network announced Saturday that it was removing the ad, saying the controversy over it had become a distraction.

The conservative group, One Million Moms, had complained to the CEO of Crown Media Family Networks, which is Hallmark’s parent company, after the network aired advertisements featuring the same-sex couple sharing a kiss at the altar.

Perry said Sunday that the company had been struggling over the decision to pull the commercial.

“The Crown Media team has been agonizing over this decision, as we’ve seen the hurt it has unintentionally caused,” his statement read. “Said simply, they believe this was the wrong decision.”

Perry went on to emphasize that Hallmark is “committed to diversity and inclusion” and “have a track record to prove it.”

“Hallmark will be working with GLAAD to better represent the LGBTQ community across our portfolio of brand,” he said.

“The Hallmark Channel will be reaching out to Zola to re-establish our partnership and reinstate the commercials.”