Gibraltar celebrates first same sex marriage

A local gay couple made history yesterday when they were declared husband and husband in Gibraltar’s first same sex marriage.

Aaron Mills and Adrian Charles Triay-Dignam have been together four and a half years and became Mr and Mr Dignam-Mills at 2pm in front of family and friends and the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and his wife Justine.

“It is my honour to pronounce you husband and husband,” said marriage register Austin Viagas, who conducted the ceremony.

“You’ve made history,” he added as guests dabbed at tears of joy.

Just like all grooms, the newlyweds were “nervous” about their big day but are also “soooo excited”. Adrian confessed his nerves had not let him eat properly for days leading up to the wedding.

The men met when Adrian stamped Aaron’s passport while at work.

“It was uncanny and it was something that was going to happen and it did,” Adrian said, adding it had been love ever since.

Breaking with tradition, the couple did not arrive separately at the registry office. Instead, they did the “walk of pride” from their home together.

In another side step from the norm, the couple had two best women.

The ladies donned dresses in keeping with the silver and purple theme the wedding had.

After the wedding the Chief Minister congratulated the couple, who thanked Mr Picardo and his government for legalising same sex marriage in Gibraltar.

The couple plan to celebrate over the entire weekend and have at least 120 guests joining them, including some who have travelled from the US and United Kingdom to be here.

Adrian’s sister Yvette De la Rosa, owner of Nosha, is doing the catering.

This prompted the couple to hold the festivities over two days, as her café is not open at weekends.

“She is my rock,” he said, adding he would be lost without her support.

The couple will leave for a five-day honeymoon in Italy, before paying a visit to Aaron’s family in the UK and heading onto London for four days.

They return to the Rock in time to ring in the New Year, their first as Mr and Mr Dignam-Mills.

The Minister for Equality Samantha Sacramento was overseas on ministerial business and unable to attend the wedding.

“We have seen another milestone? step towards equality in Gibraltar as Adrian and Aaron are the first gay couple to marry locally,” she told the Chronicle.

“With the introduction of the amendments to the Marriage Act to make this possible, all couples who love each other and wish to marry are now on the same footing as each other.”

“I am absolutely delighted to have been part of a process that makes our society a fairer and more inclusive one.”