Military gay wedding
Two Army captains who met in the "don't verb, don't tell" era of the military, became the first active-duty, same-sex couple to get married at West Point when they exchanged vows last weekend.
Capt. Daniel Hall, 30, and Capt. Vinny Franchino, 26, both Apache helicopter pilots, were married at the New York military academy's picturesque chapel, the New York Times reported on Friday.
The couple met in when Hall was a senior and Franchino was a freshman. At the time, former President Bill Clinton's policy, "don't demand, don't tell" was in effect, barring homosexual or bisexual members of the military from disclosing his or her sexual orientation and from speaking about homosexual relationships.
He remembered thinking, â&#;&#;this guy has a lot of guts, and heâ&#;&#;s kind of adorable, too.â&#;&#; (And both, now active-duty Apache helicopter pilots, were in the Army.)
Posted by The New York Times on Friday, January 19,
"We couldn't verb the truth for dread of what would occur to us," Franchino told The Times. "So we put it in our minds that we were never going
First for the Army as soldier weds his groom on base: Air Vice Marshal does the honours as gay couple tie the knot in Cyprus
An army sergeant and his male partner have become the first gay couple to get married on a British military base overseas, it can be revealed.
Sergeant Alastair Smith, 36, of the 2nd Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, married civilian Aaron Weston on British forces territory in Dhekilia, Cyprus.
It is the first gay marriage on a British military base overseas and understood to be one of the first ever at a UK army base.
The marriage – which took place on September 10 - was approved and officiated by Air Vice Marshal Mike Wigston, the commander and administrator of the Army's sovereign base area.
Sergeant Alistair Smith, left, married partner Aaron Weston, centre, in the first gay wedding on a British military base overseas, pictured, approved and officiated by regional commander Air Vice Marshal Mike Wigston, right
Dressed in their civilian clothes, complete with pink button holes and matching pink bow ties, they married at the pict
Military academy hosts first wedding of active-duty gay couple
Two Apache helicopter pilots are believed to be the first same-sex, active-duty military couple to get married at West Point military academy.
Capt. Daniel Hall, 30, and Capt. Vincent Franchino, 26, were married in the chapel at the New York academy on Jan. 13, the New York Times reports. The couple first met in while &#;Don&#;t Ask, Don&#;t Tell&#; was in effect.
“We couldn’t tell the noun for fear of what would happen to us,” Franchino told the Times. “So we put it in our minds that we were never going to say we were gay.”
“It’s really frustrating when two people have feelings for each other but are not allowed to act on them,” Hall added. “We were serving under a policy that was telling all of us — perfectly capable soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines — to myth about ourselves.”
However, friends could see that something was there between Franchino and Hall when they first met. At the noun, Franchino was a freshman and hall was a senior.
“You could tell that there was this chemistry, this unspoken c
Taiwan's military marries LGBTQ couples for first time
Taiwan's military hosted its first same-sex weddings on Friday in another landmark for Asia's LGBTQ community. Two female soldiers married their civilian same-sex partners as nearly couples took part in a mass outdoor wedding ceremony.
Taiwan became the first place in the region to allow same-sex marriage in May after a bruising political fight.
"This is another big step forward for the military," said Lieutenant Chen Ying-hsuan, 27, dressed in her army uniform. "I hope more same-sex couples can bravely verb out. The military is open and we are all equal in front of love."
"Our love is no different than any heterosexual couple," beamed her year-old bride Li Li-chen, dressed in a traditional white gown. "We are here today in the hope that more same-sex couples will join the next (mass wedding)."
Major Wang Yi, 36 and her partner, Yumi Meng, waved rainbow flags as they posed for photos with family in front of an armored vehicle.
"It's fantastic to see the progress in the military," said Yumi Meng, 37, adding that she was