Hawaii couple, Sergeant Brandon Morgan of the Marines and his partner Dalan Wells, a gay couple, were spotted doing something that you don’t usually see – they kissed on the mouth as soon as they saw each other after one of the partners returned from active duty! The photograph of their kiss has now gone viral! Since the repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) policy originally instated by President Bill Clinton, more and more gay and lesbian military couples are finding solace in being able to engage in some PDA, a privilege not previously not afforded to them.
The repeal of DADT has resulted in a mix of emotions. While many gay and lesbian couples are now openly engaging in some PDA and even public same-sex wedding ceremonies, others are hesitant to follow suit. Morgan and Wells is one couple that took the bull by the horns and went ahead with showing off their love to the world. Those that are hesitant cite previous changes in policy, often overnight changes that impact gay and lesbian couples at their very core.
Prior to the repeal DADT pretty much dictated how couples in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) could behave in public. Historically, these couples would never have even considered showing their partner affection around other officers, let alone in such a public place such as where Morgan and Wells had their homecoming kiss.
Brandon responded to the many positive comments posted in response to he and Dalan’s romantic reunion photograph:
“To everyone who has responded in a positive way. My partner and I want to say thank you. Dalan, the giant in the photo, can’t believe how many shares and likes we have gotten on this. We didn’t do this to get famous,or something like that we did this cause after 3 deployments and four years knowing each other, we finally told each other how we felt. As for the haters, let em hate…to quote Kat Williams, everyone needs haters, so let them hate. We are the happiest we have ever been and as for the whole PDA and kissing slash hugging in uniform…it was a homecoming, if the Sergeants Major, Captains, Majors, and Colonels around us didn’t care…then why do you care what these random people have to say? In summation thank you for your love and support. I received a lot of friend requests off this. I don’t just accept requests so if your request was because of this post message me and let me know. Goodnight all, and Semper Fi. –Brandon Morgan”
Sources: 10News, International Business Times
It’s important to realize that changes in policy affect these couples’s lives on a daily basis. In the past, careers were lost when a person’s sexuality, namely if that person was gay or lesbian, came to light. Now, in the wake of the DADT repeal, are couples like Brandon and Dalan secure in their election to engage in PDA? Or are they prematurely showing their love in an unstable time that might see policies such as DADT return at a later date? What are your thoughts?
