Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta and her partner Petty Officer 3rd Class Citlalic Snell, who have been together for over two years, were finally able to express their love in public—and in quite the circumstance. The time-honored Navy tradition of the homecoming “first kiss” was shared between the two after Gaeta descended from the USS Oak Hill amphibious landing ship after a three-month assignment in Central America, reports The Virginia Pilot.
Following September’s repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, this was the first time on record that a same-sex couple was chosen to kiss first upon a ship’s return.
“It’s significant because this is the first we can show who we are,” says Snell, who already considers Gaeta as her wife, though the two are planning for a wedding down the road. “Being in the military, where it was not allowed, we can show it and we can be public about it, and we don’t have to hide our relationship. And I think it’s something that is going to open a lot of doors not just for our relationship but all the other gay and lesbian relationships that are in the military now.”
A couple is selected out of a raffle, for which sailors and their loved ones buy tickets at $1 each. Gaeta bought 50 tickets in the hopes of winning the exclusive opportunity. While she has a sneaking suspicion that some of her division purchased a few more to help her win, she knew of other sailors that purchased more than 100 for themselves and their loved ones.
“It was a surprise I won—a good surprise!” says Gaeta. “It was meant to be,” adds Snell with a smile.
