First Ever White House Gay Wedding Ceremony
It’s been a hallmark year for members of the gay community, with same-sex marriage being legalized in Maine, Maryland, and Washington, and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was repealed.
In another smaller – but no less monumental stride – U.S. Marine Corp captain Matthew Phelps became the first man to propose marriage to his boyfriend, Ben Schock inside of the White House over the weekend.
The touching photo of Capt. Phelps’ bending down on one knee and offering a ring to the love of his life has become an internet sensation, with thousands of ‘likes’ on Facebook and more than 16,000 views on story-sharing site Reddit.
dailymail.co.uk
Capt. Phelps told the Atlantic Wire this afternoon that he and his now-fiancĂ© have been overwhelmed by the ‘overwhelmingly positive’ response, noting that the only criticism he’s seen is critiques on his and Mr Schock’s wardrobe choices.
The Marine said that he enlisted in 2002 to serve his country following the September 11 terrorist attacks. He met Mr Schock at the 2010 Service Members Legal Defense Network in Washington, D.C.
At the time, Mr Schock was living in Seattle, and Capt. Phelps was in San Diego. ‘We just became friends,’ he explained, ‘talking on the phone fairly regularly and otherwise just going on about our lives.
After Mr Schock graduated from the University of Washington, he moved to Washington, D.C. Capt. Phelps, an adamant advocate of equality within the military, also moved to the nation’s capital. He came out publically after Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed.
Capt. Phelps said that he wasn’t trying to make a statement with his proposal, explaining the White House was where the couple had their first date six months earlier.
‘If there’s any statement to be made,’ he told the Atlantic Wire, ‘it’s that our marriage will not be recognized by the Department of Defense because of the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA).’ He explained that under DOMA, he and Mr Schock will not be recognized by law as a married couple and cannot receive benefits that heterosexual couples do.
They said that they are planning to marry in the spring, though they haven’t set an official date.
In a follow-up post, the couple wrote: ‘‘Such a special night surrounded by wonderful people in an amazing place, and the best is still yet to come with Ben Schock.
In a follow-up post, the couple wrote: ‘‘Such a special night surrounded by wonderful people in an amazing place, and the best is still yet to come with Ben Schock.
‘Thanks for all the wonderful greetings and messages, and thanks to Barack Obama and Michelle Obama for lending us your home for the occasion!’
They wrote in a follow-up post: ‘Ben and I are blown away by the amazing love and support we received. Thank you all so much for sharing in our joy and our lives.’
In May, President Obama made history when he became the first sitting president to publically declare his support for same-sex marriage.
The first LGBT proposal happened at the White House earlier this year. In June, an LGBT couple, Scout proposed to his partner Liz Margolies during LGBT Pride Month.
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