Posted on 07/21/2009 6:10:35 PM PDT by SmithL
A gay rights group plans to stage a mass kissing demonstration outside the San Diego Mormon temple as a show of support for a gay couple cited for trespassing in Utah after sharing a kiss on church property.
The Empowering Spirits Foundation says the "kiss-in" is intended as a peaceful rally to encourage dialogue between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
The event is scheduled for Wednesday evening at the temple near La Jolla, Calif.
"It's an opportunity for us to stand up for two members of our community that we obviously felt were mistreated and treated unfairly," foundation executive director A. Latham Staples said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "At the same time, it's also an opportunity, hopefully, to entertain a dialogue with the Mormon church."
It would be the third kissing demonstration — but the first outside Utah — held since Matt Aune and Derek Jones were cited for trespassing on the church-owned Main Street Plaza on July 9 in Salt Lake City.
The couple refused to leave the plaza when security guards who saw the kiss said the behavior was inappropriate. When Aune and Jones became argumentative, both were handcuffed and Aune was pinned to the ground before police were called.
Aune has said the couple's display of affection was modest, but church officials have characterized it differently. In a statement last week, a church spokeswoman Kim Farah said the men "engaged in passionate kissing, groping, profane and lewd language, and had obviously been using alcohol."
An arraignment is set for Thursday in Salt Lake City's municipal court.
Staples has also sent a letter to church president Thomas S. Monson asking to meet with church officials from the San Diego temple.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
A gay mass kiss-in. Eeeewwwwww.
This “in your face” stuff doesn’t work for me.
I doubt it will be pretty enough to call it porn...
The cure for them is AIDS!!!!
:D good point... at least porn is what it is....
If they do it on public property, then as long as they don’t break any public indecency laws we are all free not to look or care.
If however they trespass and try to take their “protest” onto church/temple property, that’s another matter entirely.
Cockroaches no longer see any need to stay in the woodwork is seems.
> The Empowering Spirits Foundation says the “kiss-in” is intended as a peaceful rally to encourage dialogue between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Can someone explain how this “in your face” blatant display of immorality supposed to “encourage dialogue” between the church and the freak and fruit community?
It’s always the Mormons.
Taking socially conservative stands that far too many others fear to take.
What do these people do with themselves when they’re not engaging in demonstrations?
Remember to bleach the sidewalk as soon as the “demonstration” is over. Children might fall off a bike and get a skin abrasion on that sidewalk.
Dear Mr. Protester:
What makes you think the Mormon Church is even aware you exist?
Have Mormons picketed your house, your favorite gay bar, the local bathhouse, or wherever it is you spend your time?
Do they hold up signs accusing you of hating them?
Have they responded in kind to your taunts?
Do they trespass on your property?
You are right, the hate is coming from the gay mafia and is directed at the church.
I noticed that too. It is a great credit to them.
Why don’t they try it at a mosque?
Neither does it work for tens of millions of Americans witnessing this stuff. Keep it up, perverts.
No true. The right to protest does not give you the right to disrupt other people on public lands.
A protest is by definition disruptive. If the protest takes place on public property and does not physically interfere with the people visiting and worshipping at the temple, then as long as they aren’t violating any other laws (such as public indecency - nudity and other lewd acts), then they’re within their rights.
If they violate any laws, trespass, or physically attempt to prevent people from going into the temple then they cross over into violating both the property rights of the temple and the freedom of religion of those who they prevent from entering or leaving the temple.
And they will violate the laws by attempting to prevent anyone’s movement in a public area that does not support their cause.
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