Flamenco flamboyance at Spain gay military wedding

SEVILLE, Spain, Sep 15 (Reuters) Two airmen became the first gay Spanish military couple to marry, accompanied by a fire-cracker chorus of flamenco clapping, guitars and a crowd of hearty-voiced well-wishers.

Private Alberto Linero exchanged vows with Private Alberto Sanchez at Seville's town hall yesterday, both in air force dress uniform and watched by friends, family and well-known gay personalities.

''I just hope everything goes well,'' said a nervous-sounding Sanchez as he was pursued along the streets of the Andalusian capital by a media throng.

They shed a tear as they hugged and kissed effusively as another flamenco chorus was played at the door of the town hall.

The Socialist government has shaken up some long-standing codes in Catholic Spain with measures such as legalising gay marriage, making divorce easier and diminishing the role of the church in education.

The Catholic Church had close links to the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, backed by the army, which lasted almost 40 years.

After gay marriage was approved in July 2005, almost 1,300 same-sex weddings took place by the end of the year, representing 0.6 per cent of total weddings celebrated in the year, according to Spain's statistics institute INE.

REUTERS SSC MIR RAI0917