Photo of gay Marine kissing boyfriend receives flood of support

[Little Tich]

Source: New York Daily News

Homecoming shot goes viral after posting on gay Marines Facebook page

A photo of a gay Marine locked in a passionate welcome home kiss with his boyfriend has gone viral, sparking a groundswell of support from backers of the military's policy of allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the military.

The photo, which shows Sgt. Brandon Morgan locking lips with partner Dalan Wells during a recent homecoming in Hawaii, was posted to a Gay Marines Facebook page on Saturday.

Since then, the shot has received tens of thousands of "likes," shares and comments, prompting the young soldier to send a grateful message to all of his supporters.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/photo-gay-marine-kissing-boyfriend-receives-flood-support-article-1.1029426?localLinksEnabled=false

[BigDemVoter]

1. About goddamned TIME!!

[KaryninMiami]

2. Brought tears to my eyes. Thank goodness we've closed that chapter-

and all couples can show their joy at being reunited in public! Love this photo.

[boppers]

3. Keep 'em coming....

...until it's "not news".

[Bladian]

4. It was a very nice picture.

Although I did get a chuckle out of noticing that the boyfriend (who, for all I know, could be in the military too) was waaaaay bigger than the Marine, who was a relatively small dude.

[cpamomfromtexas]

13. Why would that matter? Silliest comment I've seen in a long time.

[Bladian]

19. Seriously? It was a joke, get off your high horse.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

20. Then you must not read many GD posts.

Then again, neither do I. Pointless irritation that I don't need.

[DRoseDARs]

31. Actually that's not true: Marine is 5'11" and the civvie is 6'6" n/t

[Bladian]

39. Sorry, I meant small in comparison to the boyfriend.

Well, he looks small in the picture too. Not that I doubt he's 5'11". Just doesn't look it from the photo.

[DRoseDARs]

46. I thought the marine was small 2 from the pic. He's got a few inches on me, nevermind his boyfriend.

eom

[Bladian]

59. Oh god yeah, exactly.

I'm only 5'9, 5'10 on a good day as a 19 year old male. Looking at those two makes me feel tiny.

[The Doctor.]

5. Here's why I like this...

The wingnuts can't stand the idea that sexuality has nothing to do with whether a soldier is capable of being a soldier.

There are some deeper levels to this that involve their own insecurities, but this all speaks up fine.

[SunSeeker]

58. The wingnuts can't stand the idea of sexuality, period. nt

[MACARD]

7. Gingrich's Ad supports this post now if only he knew his guys were supporting gay marines kissing.

My best Wishes to the Marines in the Picture and to all our Gay servicemen.

[fightthegoodfightnow]

8. Santorum

This is who is fighting for you.

[rabotaonlain]

69. Spam deleted by Skinner (MIR Team)

[Obamacare]

9. Ummkay

[DisgustipatedinCA]

44. what do you mean by "Ummkay"?

Responses to this thread, and indeed, any thread on the site, are not compulsory. As such, most who respond to a thread do so for a reason, either because they agree with the thread, disagree with it, or otherwise find it worthy of comment. Your derivation of the word OK doesn't seem to meet any of these criteria. So I'm curious as to why you posted it. Thank you.

[DURHAM D]

53. Do you have a problem?

[EFerrari]

10. Great story.

[truthisfreedom]

11. You go, boys, but honestly, kissing doesn't always photograph well.

Carry on. I hope this helps loosen America up a little.

[alp227]

12. 10 years ago, this would be more controversial

Oh how far we've come ever since "coming out of the closet" provoked more fear among average Americans. You may remember Jerry Falwell howling about the coming out episode of Ellen DeGeneres's sitcom in the late '90s. Now that homophobia is being swept to the dustbin of American history we don't have much to worry about after seeing two men kiss. May they have a wonderful life together!

[AlbertCat]

14. he coming out episode of Ellen DeGeneres's sitcom

That was hysterical!

I loved how in the last moments, Ellen is signing all these forms and some lady is stamping them. "Gosh I didn't know it was so involved, coming out!" Then Laura Dern gets a toaster for getting someone to come out. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


And before, when Ellen makes a last ditch effort to deny her gayness, she picks up this guy who's been flirting with her and they get a hotel room. Then it cuts to them sitting in bed, silent. then Ellen: "I don't know what's wrong." Man: "It's OK. These things happen"

[BlancheSplanchnik]

21. hahahah! brilliant!

now I want to see that episode again!

[sarge43]

17. Ten years ago he would have been discharged and the homophobes would have gone batshit.

Second your good wishes.

[closeupready]

15. I love that photo.

K&R

[hamsterjill]

16. Welcome Home Sgt. Morgan

Thank you for your service to our country. I am happy to see you welcomed by someone that cares about you! I wish you both much happiness.

[PavePusher]

18. Excellent. n/t

[BlancheSplanchnik]

22. Awwwwww!!! Such happiness!

Love!

[samsingh]

23. it's all good

[Loudmxr]

24. It is not about sex... It is about love.

One of my most precious achievements was to be among the first to speak and write in opposition to Prop 8 here in California.

BTW one of the couples fighting Prop 8 is right here in my home town of Burbank.

I could go on about how love changes the dialog... but it would be long reading and most of you know how love makes the world go round and affects your life forever.

[Suji to Seoul]

25. I am straight and I am so happy to see this

For far too long, gay and lesbian people have been denied too much out of bigotry, fear and ignorance.

I am happy for these two men. Now, let's get them the civil right to marry and enjoy their happiness out in the open more, rather than hiding it behind this abomination called civil unions.

[McCamy Taylor]

26. Love is soooo much better than war.

[Lars77]

27. Jesusfreaks: WELCOME TO REALITY.

[SunSeeker]

28. The two of them are so cute together.

I'm straight, and this is exactly how I would kiss my love after coming back from war! Expressions of love are pretty universal.

[Arctic Dave]

29. What I find interesting about the picture is the people in the background

could care less. That is awesome.

No one is pointing, staring or full of self rightouesness.

[DRoseDARs]

30. Little more background: The marine is 5'11" and his boyfriend? 6'6" n/t

[MrMickeysMom]

32. Dear Rick Santorum...

No dogs were harmed in the depiction of this homecoming.

Here's a box of tissues... Now, have a good cry.

[ulaes]

33. C'mon

You know, it doesn't make you a homophobe to find this sort of thing off-putting. All this cheer-leading seems a little disingenuous.

[Orangepeel]

35. This sort of thing?

People have called the Life picture of the kiss "an iconic image of the 20th century." In my opinion, this should be an iconic picture of the 21st.

In this case, people have two reasons to "cheerlead" -- a marine coming home from serving his country and the end of a policy that was both discriminatory and bad for national security.

Why in the world would it be disingenuous to cheer?

[ulaes]

36. Because

it seems to be more about "hey, look at me - I'm one of the good guys" than anything else. I think we have to own up to the fact that heterosexual men find guys kissing disturbing on a gut level. It has nothing to do with hate and nothing to do with politics. It won't change. Instead of truly helping gay rights, this feigned ignorance actually hurts.

Now comes the point when a bunch of straight guys enter the thread claiming they don't find it disturbing in any way. Again, more "not me - I'm no homophobe!"

[sarge43]

37. So you know the inner most feelings of over 3 billion people?

You're wasting your time posting on the net. With your psychic abilities you should go into show business.

By the way not all of us 'good guys' are guys. Oops, missed that one Karnak.

[ulaes]

38. silly

I think true progress is made by looking at society squarely as it is - not in some idealized way. And every one of us makes generalizations when we engage in inductive reasoning. We don't have to qualify every sentence through noting that there is an exception here and there.

[sarge43]

43. Better silly than sad

Your proposal is sad. True progress is made when we listen to our better angels or at least our better instincts. Generalizations are too often stereotypes.

[heliarc]

48. Insult to Show Business

And there are too many gay people in show business for him to feel comfortable there. I suggest he's better suited for the Religion business for some real healing and mind reading.

[ulaes]

50. Can't we have a disagreement

without the insults? There are entire academic departments that study tendencies in groups of people - Sociology, Political Science, Women's Studies. Should we call them all full of shit, too?

[Politicub]

41. Enough already with coddling bigots

Life is too short to worry about people's hang ups with guys kissing.

Plus, this image clearly makes a lot of people happy. Love always wins!

[SunSeeker]

42. Don't worry, it gets better.

Your nausea at seeing men kissing is common. As you see it more often, you'll get used to it. And pretty soon it won't bother you, just like it doesn't bother the people in the background of that picture, who couldn't seem to care less.

[Rob H.]

45. "...the fact that heterosexual men find guys kissing disturbing on a gut level."

Not to put too fine a point on it, but that's bullshit. Some heterosexual men may find the photo "disturbing" but you know what? Fuck them. Life's too short to not be who you truly are no matter what your orientation. These two men are obviously crazy about each other and I say more power to 'em.

(My best friend of 25+ years is gay and a great person. I'd be thrilled to death if he found someone who's as in love with him as these two men are with each other.)

[Swede Atlanta]

49. I challenge your assumption.........

Yes, there are heterosexual men that find this "disturbing" and will find it that way in 25 years.

But I know my two nephews, both very much heterosexual, have seen me and my partner kiss at family events and they think absolutely nothing of it. Yes, they are in their 20's.

But remember that a few decades ago there would be men and women that shuddered at the sight of interracial couples kissing and holding hands.

This too will change. There will always be freaks that haven't accepted change but the majority of even heterosexual men will say, "what's the big deal" as long as he doesn't want to get it on with me!!!

[ulaes]

56. Thank you

for disagreeing with me without calling me a bigot.

[uppityperson]

72. I think it was your speaking for all hetero men and "it won't change" that set many of us off.

Another question for you, is it worse to be called a bigot, or to apologize for posting something bigotted?

[Doc Holliday]

65. exactly!

"what's the big deal as long as he doesn't want to get it on with me!!!"

That's it for me, exactly. As long as you're not mackin' on me, we're fine.

One thought I had was to wonder briefly what my long-deceased grandfather would make of this picture.

I don't know. There was a lot of stuff he "didn't hold with."

I'm happy for these guys. I hope they can wind up living somewhere that'll allow them to get married. We're in the 21st century now.

[TNLib]

55. Your generalizing not all hetrosexual men are disturbed by seeing two men kissing

I think it's not something people are use to seeing but eventually people will get use it and it won't be a big deal to anyone. It's just 2 people kissing.

[ruggerson]

64. Your post is factually incorrect

You wrote; "we have to own up to the fact that heterosexual men find guys kissing disturbing on a gut level... it won't change."

There are many straight men who are completely neutral in their reaction to the image of two men kissing.

What you are referring to do is conditioning. A lot of men are conditioned by society, their upbringing and religion to react adversely to homosexual images.

That already is changing and will continue to as we all move forward in the inevitable (and one-directional) march towards complete human rights.

[Orangepeel]

66. Heterosexual men do not find guys kissing disturbing on a gut level

Certainly not all heterosexual men



A lot do, I'm sure, but probably because it it something relatively unusual that they've been taught is wrong. They'll get over it after they get used to it, just like homosexual men are used to seeing men kiss women. All the more reason to cheer the picture, in my opinion.

[Withywindle]

70. Who cares what SOME (not all, not by a long shot) heterosexual men find "disturbing?"

On a gut level? Really? You don't think that centuries of cultural conditioning might have something to do with that "gut level" feeling? Do you really think this can't and won't be changed? Do you really think it's impossible for a straight guy to examine those feelings and GET THE FUCK OVER THEM, because those feelings are useless and stupid, as well as being offensive to fellow human beings? I assure you, millions of straight guys have done so and are doing so every day.

If you can't master your own pointless emotions, the least you can do is have the common courtesy to keep your mouth shut about them. This isn't about you, after all.

I'm sure some gay and lesbian people find heterosexual kissing, if not "disturbing," than at least just a teeny little bit kind of ew, like watching someone eat gross food. Miraculously, though, they can manage to look at a picture of a happy couple without having to tell the whole world that they think it's icky.

[Posteritatis]

57. Actually, yeah, it does. (nt)

[uppityperson]

71. Between this post and your next, quoted, yes, it does.

"I think we have to own up to the fact that heterosexual men find guys kissing disturbing on a gut level. It has nothing to do with hate and nothing to do with politics. It won't change. "

I won't change. It won't change. Heterosexual men find guys kissing disturbing on a gut level and it won't change.

Such comments come from someone lacking in life experiences, or homophobic. Yes, it CAN change and it will change. Rather like being disturbed on a gut level by 2 people of different skin colors or ethnicities kissing.

Educate yourself.

[Ex Lurker]

34. It also seems to have crashed Free Republic

They've been down since yesterday

[polmaven]

62. Too funny!

I just checked and it is still down....I wonder if it will ever be the same again! the poor You-Name-It-Phobes may never truly recover from this.

But isn't it just a great picrure? This straight Christian a huge grin on her face....!

[craigmatic]

40. That's kind of a hot picture. You can tell they love each other.

[WillyT]

47. HUGE K & R !!!

[christx30]

51. This pic

must be blowing the minds of the freepers. That site has been down for at least 20 hours.
I wanted to see if there was their normal, high strung, bigoted reaction to it, but it's totally down.
Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of punks.
As for the pic, both of those guys are lucky to have found someone to be with in the world. Everyone, gay or straight, should be that lucky.

[Aerows]

52. Love it

The men that defend our country deserve the right to love one another, just like the women do.

If you get mad looking at our troops because they love one another, you don't really love them.

[mahina]

54. I know that dude in the blue shirt, Dalan.

Small island!

[GliderGuider]

60. Way to go, guys! Rock the house!

[JNathanK]

61. That's wonderful, but get a room ya two!

nt

[unionworks]

67. That's the way

...that I want it to stay, and I always want it to be that way, for my Lola...L-O-L-A, Lola... we've been trying to get the message across since long ago, but nobody fuckin' listens....

[burrowowl]

68. BEAUTIFUL!