First kiss seals end to 'don't ask, don't tell'
Back to Topic
Click to Print
Useful Websites
Glossary Term Selection
Two women sailors became the first to share the coveted ‘first kiss’ on the pier after one of them returned from 80 days at sea, in a navy tradition caught up with the repeal of the US military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ rule.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta of Placerville, California, descended from the USS Oak Hill amphibious landing ship and shared a quick kiss in the rain with her partner, Petty Officer 3rd Class Citlalic Snell of Los Angeles.
Gaeta, 23, wore her dress uniform while Snell, 22, wore a black leather jacket, scarf and blue jeans. The crowd screamed and waved flags around them.
‘It’s something new, that’s for sure,’ Gaeta told reporters after the kiss.
‘It’s nice to be able to be myself. It’s been a long time coming.’
Navy officials said it was the first time on record that a same-sex couple was chosen to kiss first upon a ship’s return.
Sailors and their loved ones bought $US1 raffle tickets for the opportunity. Gaeta said she bought $US50 of tickets, a fi...
Want to see the rest of this article?
Would you like to see the rest of this article and all the other benefits that Issues Online can provide with?
- Useful related articles
- Video and multimedia references
- Statistical information and reference material
- Glossary of terms
- Key Facts and figures
- Related assignments
- Resource material and websites
