It's not surprising that the treatment of the subject in the Awake! magazine would be less strident -- and milder -- than either the study-edition Watchtower or what's said from the podium... it is, after all, the milder, comparatively more benign public face the WT likes to adopt for general consumption.
AS for tolerating celibate JWs, forget it... they're already on record as having said it's unacceptable, citing "that's what some of you WERE" ... 1 Cor. 6:9