First Gay Marriage at West Point

Another landmark for gay military members

The US military academy at West Point saw a landmark wedding between Brenda Sue Fulton and Penelope Gnesin - the first same-sex couple ever to tie the knot at the chapel. They were married by Army Chaplain Col. J. Wesley Smith, a friend of theirs, who stepped in after they found that West Point chaplains couldn't perform the ceremony for religious reasons.

Fulton is a 1980 West Point graduate who became the first openly-gay member of the academy's Board of Visitors. She's 53 and has been with Gnesin for 17 years. The couple said they didn't want to wait any longer because Gnesin is a cancer survivor and has multiple sclerosis.

The wedding suggests how quickly the military establishment has embraced gay members, since it's only a year since Don't Ask, Don't tell was repealed. Earlier this year saw the first gay wedding at a military base.

House Republicans have passed bills that would ban marriage on military bases, but the laws have no chance of passing in the current Democratic-majority Senate.

Via Fox News and Politico.

How do you feel about gay weddings at military facilities?

[Registre56]

Sad day

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

My sentiments exactly.

[Jet_Silverman]

Why do you find equality sad?

[kirbstomp1]

@Jet_Silverman - they think they are better than everyone else. They don't want equality.

[Jet_Silverman]

@kirbstomp1 you just made that up. Why do you find equality so sad?

[kirbstomp1]

@Jet_Silverman - im agreeing with you? I don't find it sad at all if anything it shows America is becoming the nation it needs to be. Free, and gov staying out of peoples personal lives and bedroom.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

And so it begins.

May God have mercy on our souls.

[dances-weebles]

grow up. god is finally having mercy on us. that's why all these good things are finally happening in our society.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

@dances-weebles - Grow up? I didn't even say anything. I just said it begins.

[thejimbo]

@Neo_NtheMatrix So does that mean you're in Canada already? Just curious...

[Denizen_Kate]

"And so it begins." And so WHAT begins, exactly?

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

@Denizen_Kate - Good question. I don't know. It's a new day. Things will be different. I won't know how until it all plays out.

[InjusticeSucks]

Way to go.......God is Smiling as the conservatives get Wild.

[dances-weebles]

fine thank you.

[Jack-Black]

And so it begins.....To your bunkers. Only 20 more days.

[stephen]

uncall for!

[mimi57]

This is all for show, I have nothing personal against gays...but they will never be married in the eyes of God. They
can play "pretend', but that's all it is. Marriage is a solemn vow between one man and one woman. Period...

[falco_alba]

So that vow that David and Jonathan took...that was just for show?

[mimi57]

@falco_alba What book have you been reading? LOL

[Jet_Silverman]

Technically you are right, there is no god, so nobody is married in the eyes of god.

[Keyjo]

The.definition of Marriage has changed, Mimi. Sorry.

[mimi57]

@Jet_Silverman That is a sad and hopeless viewpoint . Vacuous and soulless., truly
sad...

[DrMoonshine]

I'm pretty sure the marriage gay people are aiming for has to do with the legal system. Therefore god's recognition isn't needed in this instance. Furthermore, for those of you say that god won't recognize them, aren't god. From what I know it is against the bible to speak and judge on god's behalf. So you pretentious religious folks can go back to reading your bible while pretending that you know it and pretending that it presides over a government that separates itself from the church.

[jessejaymes]

You know honestly I don't care if they got married. My philosophy is if I'm not sleeping with you I don't care who you're sleeping with as long as they're legal age. But honestly I get sick to death of the daily infusion of "gay marriage". If I marry again to a woman can I get on Politix? I doubt it.

[DARSB]

These people are sworn to put their butts between me and bullets. If they want to get married in a military chapel by I have no problem with that at all, and mazel tov!

How much an ingrate would you have to be to begrudge any member of the military this?

[Keyjo]

You have to remember that these critics are the same people who would support banning Gays from military service.
Some of them would actually be ungrateful if a Gay person died in combat defending them!
Definition of warped thinking. IMHO.

[Keyjo]

I feel about Gay weddings at military installations the same way I feel about Straight weddings.
Two lovers who want to legally commit.

[Synthesis]

Good for them, it'll be nice when it's finally accepted, might take about 20 years or so.

[Blessed]

Is that a preacher performing the wedding? He's not a 'real' preacher, as I believe they read the Bible and would know what God thinks about gays. Still gagging...

[Denizen_Kate]

"Still gagging ... " And still having trouble living up to your user name, I see. Blessings are only for those who believe exactly what you believe? That seems kind of greedy to me.

[woodtick57]

Which god? Humans have invented literally thousand of those things...

[billyleewoods]

We need moral and social rules! EVERYTHING ... is not ok to do.. We have a generation who want to think they can do everything they want. They want to think that the right to personal choice makes it ok. I can go rob that bank because thats my personal choice to do that but there are consequences.

[Denizen_Kate]

Equating armed robbery with same sex marriage is ridiculous. It is illegal to rob banks for a reason, but there is no valid reason to prevent a same sex couple from getting married. Why is it not okay for them to have the same legal rights and priviledges as opposite sex couples? What consenting adults do has nothing to do with you or your life, so why do you care?

[Cheenoguy]

Who does gay marriage hurt?

[billyleewoods]

@Denizen_Kate for beginners i served in the military and am planning on reenlisting after the first of the year. while in the army and on deployment you shower in huge tents in groups. Me.. being a heterosexual male, you know following the laws of nature, should not have to worry about a guy checking my ass out while im taking a shower. i mean where are my rights?. people can say what they want to but a man hitting another man in the ass is wrong any way you look at it. people being happy is one thing but teaching kids that its ok is wrong. It could be considered a type of population control.. gays cant reproduce so maybe the elite are the ones promoting gay rights.. i think im onto something..lolol

[dances-weebles]

there's no such thing as 'moral social rules' . robbing a bank has consequences, but it has nothing to do with 'morals'. get a grip.

[billyleewoods]

@Cheenoguy our children.. warps their minds.

[Republican5001]

If they were truly in "love" why did they wait so long? If it is about for after life, there are contingencies you can put in place, for a fee, called power of attorney.

[Denizen_Kate]

Power of attorney is usually trumped by next of kin when contested. In the case of a spouse, that IS your next of kin and has all legal say-so regarding a deceased spouse and any estate. Not to mention other spousal advantages such as health care coverage and custody of children. This is a legal issue, and therefore an equal rights issue.

[Republican5001]

@Denizen_Kate show me in the constitution where the choice of sexual preference is covered again? I must of missed that one. I would like to show that to my wife.

[TheViper]

@Republican5001. Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness. There ya go. Oh and since being gay is a choice or preference, when exactly did you choose or prefer to be straight?

[Republican5001]

@TheViper when my parents taught me that boys don't like other boys and girls don't like other girls. Oh and Catholic Church since I can remember. In my 40's now so been a long time.

[Republican5001]

@TheViper and they can be happy, just not legally married.

[martydotcom]

the long standing regs on getting married at the West Point Chapel have been the same for years. Either stationed at West Point or a West Point Grad. or "have a hook". My aunt was in Admin at the Point for many years. My sister got married there

[Bobolinsky]

Good. It's water under the bridge.

The only peeps I want to hear from the "gay activists" is repeal of DOMA and a push for normalization of marriage/civil union laws to include same-sex couples.

Like I said to a friend of mine a while ago... Having achieved equality in the eyes of the law, gays should start arguing their cases according to the same rules as everybody else.

[Speedieg]

Great for them! I love how all the nut jobs, religious freaks and so called conservatives will go bat s¥*^ crazy over a simple gesture as a marriage.

[Penn1699]

What's happened to separation of church and state? I don't get why government needs to be involved in marriage, any marragies. Should be a contract. Then separate church service. The whole thing is stupid. And no one wants to hear my cut and dry take on the "gay/trans" marriages. The thread will explode and I will be booted off.

[Deano]

Homosexuality is a sin and considered a treatable mental illness by many in America. Civil unions I can see having them but this is a slap in the face of Marriage. All you did was further weaken a nation in doing this. Do you honestly think that the leader of countries like Iran and Russia plus China thein"Oh GEE isnt that special or boy I am scared to mess with the USA" Hell no! they look at us as weak for allowing this in the military. And for all those looney lefty types who will for sure tell me I am a racist or a homophobic person first you do not know me, and second I am not advocating violonce toward anyone gay straight whatever we are all sinners. what I am telling you is it makes us look weak to the middle eastern world as well as places that I mentioned. We surely have lost our sense of right and wrong. West point should be ashamed of themselves. The military is not the place for social experiments. Bill KY

[Poseur]

Both China and Russia let gay people serve in the military.

[Poseur]

@Poseur , sorry, It is Taiwan that does. But Russia has allowed gays to serve for several years now.