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First gay marriage at US West Point academy

Mon 3 Dec 2012 In: International News

West Point chapel The first gay marriage ceremony has been held in the Cadet Chapel of the USA's Military Academy at West Point. Penelope Gnesin and Brenda Sue Fulton have been together for seventeen years but were unable to have the ceremony in their home state as gay unions are not legal in New Jersey. West Point is in New York state where same-sex unions have been legal since the middle of last year. Fulton graduated in 1980, the first Academy class to include women. She rose to the rank of captain in the Army Signal Corps but ended her military career in 1986 because she wanted to be openly lesbian in her workplace. The couple's ceremony had the trappings of a military wedding, including a traditional saber arch in which officers and cadets held their swords in the air as the newlyweds departed the church.    

Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff

First published: Monday, 3rd December 2012 - 9:22am

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