 |
PettyOfficer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta, left, kisses her girlfriend of two years, Petty Officer 3rd Class Citlalic Snell at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek in Virginia Beach, Va., Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2011 after Gaeta's ship returned from 80 days at sea. It ís a time-honored tradition at Navy homecomings - one lucky sailor is chosen to be first off the ship for the long-awaited kiss witha loved one. On Wednesday, for the first time, the happily reunited couple wasgay. (AP Photo/The Virginian-Pilot, Brian J. Clark) |
Latest News
- Calif. teen sentenced for killing gay student
- Court rules in Ga. case on student's view of gays
- School outs gay teen; civil rights groups outraged
- UN official tells nations to end gay executions
VIRGINIABEACH, Va. (AP) -- A Navy tradition caught up with the repeal of the U.S.military's "don't ask, don't tell" rule on Wednesday when two womensailors became the first to share the coveted "first kiss" on thepier after one of them returned from 80 days at sea.
PettyOfficer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta of Placerville, Calif., descended from the USSOak Hill amphibious landing ship and shared a quick kiss in the rain with herpartner, Petty Officer 3rd Class Citlalic Snell of Los Angeles. Gaeta, 23, woreher Navy dress uniform while Snell, 22, wore a black leather jacket, scarf andblue jeans. The crowd screamed and waved flags around them.
"It'ssomething new, that's for sure," Gaeta told reporters after the kiss.
"It'snice to be able to be myself. It's been a long time coming."
For thehistorical significance of the kiss, there was little to differentiate it fromcountless others when a Navy ship pulls into its home port following adeployment. Neither the Navy nor the couple tried to draw attention to what washappening and many onlookers waiting for their loved ones to come off the shipwere busy talking among themselves.
DavidBauer, the commanding officer of the USS Oak Hill, said that Gaeta and Snell'skiss would largely be a non-event and the crew's reaction upon learning who wasselected to have the first kiss was positive.
"It'sgoing to happen and the crew's going to enjoy it. We're going to move on and itwon't overshadow the great things that this crew has accomplished over the pastthree months," Bauer said.
The shipreturned to Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story following an80-day deployment to Central America. The crew of more than 300 participated inexercises involving the militaries of Honduras, Guatemala Colombia and Panamaas part of Amphibious-Southern Partnership Station 2012.
Both womenare Navy fire controlmen, who maintain and operate weapons systems on ships.They met at training school where they were roommates and have been dating fortwo years, which they said was difficult under "don't ask, don'ttell."
"Wedid have to hide it a lot in the beginning," Snell said. "A lot ofpeople were not always supportive of it in the beginning, but we can finally behonest about who we are in our relationship, so I'm happy."
Navyofficials said it was the first time on record that a same-sex couple waschosen to kiss first upon a ship's return. Sailors and their loved ones bought$1 raffle tickets for the opportunity. Gaeta said she bought $50 of tickets, afigure that she said pales in comparison to amounts that some other sailors andtheir loved ones had bought. The money was used to host a Christmas party forthe children of sailors.
Snell saidshe believes their experience won't be the last one for gays and lesbians inthe military.
"Ithink that it's something that is going to open a lot of doors, for not justour relationship, but all the other gay and lesbian relationships that are inthe military now," she said.
Snell isbased on the USS Bainbridge, the guided missile destroyer that helped rescuecargo captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates in 2009.
Online:Brock Vergakis can be reached at www.twitter.com/BrockVergakis
Related Articles:
 |
President Barack Obama gestures as he talks about cutting the U.S. deficit by raising taxes, from the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington September 19, 2011. (Credit: Reuters/Larry Downing) |
About the Challenges of Being a Gay Man – Oct 23, 2010 (Saint Germain channelled by Alexandra Mahlimay and Dan Bennack) - “You see, your Soul and Creator are not concerned with any perspective you have that contradicts the reality of your Divinity – whether this be your gender, your sexual preference, your nationality – or your race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or anything else.”
"The Akashic System" – Jul 17, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: Religion, God, Benevolent Design, DNA, Akashic Circle, (Old) Souls, Gaia, Indigenous People, Talents, Reincarnation, Genders, Gender Switches, In “between” Gender Change, Gender Confusion, Shift of Human Consciousness, Global Unity,..... etc.)
