Two female sailors have made history after becoming the first same-sex couple to publicly share the US Navy's traditional first kiss. Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta, 23, stepped off the USS Oak Hill in Virginia and planted a kiss on the lips of her girlfriend, Citlalic Snell, also a naval officer.
The passionate embrace comes after the US military's "don't ask, don't tell" rule, which prevented gay personnel from being open about their sexuality, was repealed earlier this year. Petty Officer Gaeta, who was just home from 80 days at sea, was selected as the crew member to make the traditional "first kiss" ashore after buying $50 worth of $1 tickets in a raffle. Petty Officer Snell, of Placerville, California, told the newspaper the kiss would "open a lot of doors not just for our relationship, but for all the other gay and lesbian relationships that are in the military".