Melissa Ray Explained
Melissa Ray |
Fullname: | Melissa Ray |
Birth Date: | 25 April 1984 |
Nationalyears1: | 2003–2009 |
Nationalcaps1: | 8 |
Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
Nationalteam1: | New Zealand |
Ntupdate: | 23:53, 15 November 2009 (UTC) |
Melissa Ray (born 25 April 1984) is an association football player who represented New Zealand at international level.[1]
Ray made her Football Ferns début as a substitute in 9-0 World Cup qualifier win over Cook Islands on 9 April 2003,[2] and finished her international career with eight caps to her credit.
Ray was one of the first New Zealand LGBT+ citizens to marry her then partner, Tash Vitali, after the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill entered into law.[3] [4] The wedding made international news,[5] but the marriage ended a year later.[6]
Notes and References
- Web site: Caps 'n' Goals, New Zealand Women's national representatives. The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. 7 July 2009.
- Web site: Football Ferns - Line-ups. The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. 7 July 2009.
- Web site: Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill - New Zealand Parliament. parliament.nz. en. 2023-07-31. 10 November 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191110231618/https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/00DBHOH_BILL11528_1/marriage-definition-of-marriage-amendment-bill. live.
- Collins, Simon. (26 July 2013). Sadness mars lesbian couple's big day. New Zealand Herald.
- (19 August 2013). New Zealand gay couples hold first weddings. BBC News.
- Collins, Simon. (16 July 2014). Same-sex marriage pioneers split. New Zealand Herald.