Marine in Viral Photo Gets Married to Boyfriend

Gays and equality minded people applauded - while Christofascists and homophobes had conniption fits - back in February when Marine Sgt. Brandon Morgan returned from deployment in Afghanistan to Hawaii and jumped into the arms of his partner, Dalan Wells, and a friend's Facebook photo (see above) of the happy reunion went viral on the Internet and a day later was all over the world.  The story has an even happier ending: Brandon and Dalan recently got married in the Finger Lakes region of New York State not too far from where I lived through my high school years.  A local blogger has photos from the happy event that can be seen here.  Here's one of them taking their vows: 

Yesterday, the boyfriend and I attended a wedding reception for friends who had married in New York State a short while back.  Our friends virtually glowed with happiness at the event and I could not help but wonder at the sick mental state of those who would deprive others of such happiness solely so that their hate, ignorance and fear based religious beliefs won't be challenged.  Religion remains a pernicious evil that is utilized to divide and stigmatize people.