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

1. Web site: Caps 'n' Goals, New Zealand Women's national representatives. The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. 7 July 2009.
2. Web site: Football Ferns - Line-ups. The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. 7 July 2009.
3. 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.
4. Collins, Simon. (26 July 2013). Sadness mars lesbian couple's big day. New Zealand Herald.
5. (19 August 2013). New Zealand gay couples hold first weddings. BBC News.
6. Collins, Simon. (16 July 2014). Same-sex marriage pioneers split. New Zealand Herald.