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This Photo of the First Gay Military Wedding is Worth a Thousand Words
Tech Sgt. Erwynn Umali and husband Will Behrens
The story of the first gay military wedding to ever take place in our nation’s history begins like this:
It’s almost Christmas, and I’m eating lunch with Tech Sgt. Erwynn Umali and his fiance Will Behrens at a Cracker Barrel in New Jersey. Erwynn, 34, is an active-duty serviceman in the Air Force. Will, 35, is a branch manager for a financial firm. There are six months to go until Will and Erwynn get married at McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, a joint military base in Wrightstown, N.J. It will be the first publicly announced gay civil union or wedding ever to take place on an American military installation. But today is about family, not planning for the big day. With us are Will’s children from a previous marriage, his 11-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son. When the country fried steak and chicken and dumplings arrive, everyone joins hands in prayer. Will thanks God for our food and prays that I’ll make it home safely. We say amen and eat.
And it only gets better.
Go read the entire thing at Slate. Once you’ve finished fawning over the handsome gentlemen in their wedding photo, that is.
