(Image Source: Brian Clark / The Viriginia Pilot)
BY LAUREN ZIMA
It happened by chance, but now it’s making history.
Two women -- both petty officers in the Navy -- had the first welcome-home kiss when one of them returned to port this week. The U.S.S. Oak Hill returned from three months in Central America to port in Virginia Beach, and Marissa Gaeta ran to kiss her fiance, Citlalic Snell.
Sailors buy raffle tickets to see who gets the first kiss, and this is the first time a same-sex couple has won the prize -- something that wasn’t even an option before the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. WBZ has what the women had to say.
GAETA: “I think it’s great that we can actually be open about our relationship since we both are in the military. We did have to hide a lot it in the beginning, and like she said, a lot of people were not always supportive of it in the beginning. But we can finally be honest about who we are and our relationship.”
SNELL: “Very recently the change has come into affect, and it’s been nothing but positive. So it’s been pretty awesome, to say the least.”
Mashable notes that it was one year ago Thursday that President Obama signed the repeal of the 17-year-old Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy -- and Thursday, the President’s Tumblr posted a photo of the kiss.
“... sentiment for the photo has been largely positive with Tumblr users reposting it with messages such as ‘It’s about time. Beautiful,’ ‘Makes me want to cry’ and ‘Thank you Mr. President.’”
Indeed, media reaction was overwhelmingly positive, with Rolling Stone writing --
America. It just got better.
And The Houston Chronicle putting the pic on its ‘best photos’ page.
But, while commenters online might have approved -- how was the crowd in person? The Week reports:
“The crowd that had gathered to greet their own loved ones cheered and waved flags at the kissing couple. But neither the Navy nor the couple tried to draw attention to the kiss — the media on the scene only found out right before the kiss that the designated couple was made up of two women.”
And KPNX has what’s next for the couple, and that raffle ticket money.
“Couple says they plan on marrying soon. Money for the first kiss raffle funds a Christmas party for the children of the sailors.”
Gaeta says she bought 50 tickets in hopes of winning, and that the win was, quote, “meant to be.” The couple met during Navy training school, and have been dating for two years.
