West Point Cadet Chapel performs its first gay marriage. Army Veteran & OutServe-SLDN Board member Brenda “Sue” Fulton married Penelope Dara Gnesin at the Cadet Chapel at West Point on Saturday. A member of the first class to include women at West Point in 1980, Fulton now serves as a presidential appointee to its Board of Visitors. She was honorably discharged from the Army at the rank of captain. Fulton is also the Executive Director of Executive Director of Knights Out, an organization of LGBT West Point graduates & allies. She joined OutServe-SLDN’s newly combined Board in October 2012. The ceremony is the first same-gender wedding at the Cadet Chapel. Last week, Army 1st Lieut. Ellen Schick married Ms. Shannon Simpson at the Old Cadet Chapel, a smaller venue on Academy grounds. Fulton stated, “West Point holds special significance to both me & Penny. From the time I was a cadet, what West Point stands for – integrity, leadership, selfless service – have been my touchstones. When Penny & I worked on ending ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ we kept coming back to the core value of integrity & that’s what made a difference. To be able to legalize our union here, especially at the Cadet Chapel, is really important to us.” The couple met in 1995 during a community sing. Penny attended a local event with singer-songwriter Carolyn McDade. While most of the participants sang melody, Sue’s contralto harmony caught Penny’s ear & ultimately brought the two to together. The couple is postponing their honeymoon until next year. Congrats to Sue & Penny!!
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