NEW YORK: West Point To See First Gay (Male) Wedding

Two male former West Point cadets will marry there today in the first-ever such ceremony for the academy.

Larry Choate III, class of 2009, will marry Daniel Lennox, class of 2007, on Saturday at the U.S. Military Academy's Cadet Chapel. West Point hosted two same-sex weddings of women in late 2012, more than a year after New York legalized gay marriage. But this is the first time two men are being wed at West Point. "It's maybe one more barrier that's pushed over a little bit, or maybe one more glass ceiling that's shattered that makes it easier for the next couple," Choate said Friday. Choate, 27, said the landmark Gothic chapel at the Hudson Valley academy is a special place and it's an honor to be wed there. He taught Sunday school at the chapel as a cadet and always thought of it as the place he would get married, if he could. The pair did not know each other as cadets, but met later through a mutual friend.

Both men are now civilians.

West Point Cadets Attend GLAAD Event

Last night GLAAD held a fundraiser in Manhattan, where the usual coterie of stars from television, movies, fashion, and nightlife worked the red carpet. But the real buzz in the press pit was over the attendance of a group of West Point cadets and their officer handlers. I pulled aside GLAAD's Seth Adam to congratulate him on the nice surprise. Adam said, "Joe, they're here on their own and bought their own tickets!" What a difference a couple of years can make.  In the center rear above is Major Howie Titzel, the head of Spectrum, West Point's gay-straight alliance. In the rear on the left is John Pendergast, who teaches Russian at West Point and is a longtime JMG reader. (I'll have a proper slideshow later today from JMG photographer Dr. Jeff, but this photo is from my little digicam.)

Army Tells Atheist Former West Point Cadet: You Owe Us $250K For Resigning

Back in December, West Point cadet Blake Page resigned, saying he could no longer stomach the incessant proselytizing by Christian commanders.  Now the Army wants Page to pay them as much as $250,000 in tuition reimbursements.

The notification this week that he would be hit up for the fees blindsided Blake Page, 24, who says that top leadership at West Point assured him that "recoupment" of costs for his taxpayer-funded education would be waived when he left the school in December. The Army’s move to deny the waiver — rejecting recommendations of the three-star general who runs West Point — was within its authority, but unusual enough to raise eyebrows. "As a general matter, the secretary of the Army usually follows recommendations that come up through the chain of command," Philip Cave, a retired Navy judge advocate who practices military law in Alexandria, Va.

The head of the watchdog Military Religious Freedom Foundation says, "This may be the clearest example I’ve ever seen of reprisal and retribution. It sends an extremely dangerous message to anyone who wants to stand for their constitutional rights."  Even if he had graduated, Page was not going to be made an officer.

Page had been diagnosed with clinical depression during his time there and was told that he was not qualified to be a commissioned officer, according to military documents. Nonetheless, he said, he was in good academic standing and on track to graduate in May. But the senior classman, a self-described atheist, decided to forego his diploma. "I could have stayed and graduated," said Page, who established a Secular Students Association at West Point. "By resigning I was able to make a very loud and bold statement. I believe it had some positive impact on the non-religious cadets."

NEW YORK: Atheist Cadet Quits West Point Over Christian Proselytizing

Saying he can no longer stomach incessant proselytizing by his Christian commanders, an atheist cadet at West Point has resigned.

"Countless officers here and throughout the military are guilty of blatantly violating the oaths they swore to defend the Constitution," wrote Blake Page, who was slated to graduate in May. "These men and women are criminals, complicit in light of day defiance of the Uniform Code of Military Justice through unconstitutional proselytism, discrimination against the non-religious and establishing formal policies to reward, encourage and even at times require sectarian religious participation." Page has learned from his superiors at West Point that he will be given an honorable discharge and not be required to pay "recoupment" costs for three and a half years at West Point. He told NBC News that when out-processing is finished, he will move to Minnesota and "continue the work I've started in whatever way I can."

Page had established a chapter of the Secular Students Alliance to support non-religious cadets. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which advocates on behalf of atheist and non-religious service members, praised Page: "This kid just torched his career in the Army, and his degree at West Point. People should recognize courage when they see it."  Commenters at World Net Daily are calling Page every foul name in the book.

Elaine Donnelly Has The Sadz

"Even though Congress made it very clear and it's in the legislation that they intended the Defense of Marriage Act to be respected and honored on military bases, several times now the administration has allowed various branches of the service to disregard that. This is the most blatant example. I think West Point is going to disappoint many of its alumnus community. And I think that some people may start to question, What is the purpose of the military service academies." - Elaine Donnelly, speaking to the AFA's OneNewsNow. (Via Good As You)

Tony Perkins Slams West Point

"Army officials are experts at following orders--except when it comes to federal marriage law. For the second time in two weeks, the brass at West Point opened its gates to lesbian 'wedding' ceremonies in direct defiance of the Defense of Marriage Act. Adding insult to the law's injury, Saturday's service was held in the Cadet Chapel, a 176-year-old house of worship that has been the heartbeat of the Academy's Christian community for almost two centuries. Brenda Fulton, one of the 'brides,' said the Chapel was a particularly meaningful site, because it's where she first heard the Cadet Prayer: 'Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong' -- words that, in the end, even West Point failed to live up to. Fulton and her same-sex partner marched down the aisle knowing full well they were leading the military's own processional away from the rule of law." - Hate group leader Tony Perkins, via press release.

Generals Are Rolling Over In Their Graves Over Gay Weddings At West Point

So sez Pat Robertson, who adds: "What have they done to our cherished institutions?"

West Point Hosts First Gay Wedding

A West Point graduate got married today in the first same-sex wedding ever held on the legendary military academy's campus.

Penelope Gnesin and Brenda Sue Fulton, a West Point graduate, exchanged vows in the regal church in a ceremony conducted by a senior Army chaplain. The ceremony comes a little more than a year after President Obama ended the military policy banning openly gay people from serving. The two have been together for 17 years. They had a civil commitment ceremony that didn't carry any legal force in 1999 but had longed hoped to formally tie the knot. The brides both live in New Jersey and would have preferred to have the wedding there, but the state doesn't allow gay marriage. "We just couldn't wait any longer," Fulton said. Guests at the wedding posted photos on Twitter while it was underway and afterward. Fulton said Cadet Chapel on the campus at West Point was a fitting venue.

Fulton (left) is the communications director for the military LGBT advocacy group OutServe and I've met her at several grassroots events. She's also the head of Knights Out, an organization for West Point's LGBT alumni. Congratulations to the happy couple!

RELATED: All the right people are already pissed off.

Dan Choi Refuses To Pay Army

Lt. Dan Choi has issued a public letter to the president in which he says he will not pay a $2500 debt the Army claims he owes as a result of being discharged early under DADT. Embiggen the above image for the complete letter.

Coming Out, Take 2

A couple of days ago active duty National Guardsman and West Point alumnus Dan Choi tried to come out publicly on the Rachel Maddow Show. That didn't go so well, because Choi's microphone went dead shortly after he began speaking. Last night Maddow brought Choi back to come out again.

West Point Alum Comes Out On Rachel Maddow Show, Also Out: His Audio

Maddow says she's "trying not to get all conspiratorial" about the audio failure.