For those who think the Great Nationwide Kiss-In was pointless, gratuitous or childish, I'm going to up the ante a bit on your thinking.
I want you to consider WHY the idea of two people of the same sex kissing makes you squirm, makes you uncomfortable. I want you to FACE those feelings for a minute.
But lemme give you some historic perspective to help you out.
Exhibit 1:
Exhibit 2:
Exhibit 3:
Exhibit 4:
Exhibit 5:
Okay, I'll stop- that last one tends to squick ME out! ;)
But here's the thing: Kissing is NORMAL. It's NATURAL. It is an expression of love. Or friendship. Or something more:
Heck, sometimes a kiss is something as trivial as an attempt at a world record with tens of thousands of your non-closest friends!
Anyone who can look at these images, watch countless movies and television out there, casually kiss people on the cheek that they barely know at gatherings and STILL think that same-sex kissing is wrong... well, I feel sorry for you and your narrow view of the world.
But thanks for reading all of this.
p>Yesterday was the Great Nationwide Kiss-In and a day that the Mormon Church is going to find hard to put behind them.
SALT LAKE CITY - The Mormon church's vigorous support for Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California last year, has turned the Utah-based faith into a lightning rod for gay rights activism, including a nationwide "kiss-in" Saturday.
The event comes after gay couples here and in San Antonio and El Paso, Texas, were arrested, cited for trespassing or harassed by police for publicly kissing. In Utah, the July 9 trespassing incident occurred after a couple were observed by security guards on a downtown park-like plaza owned by the 13 million-member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The court case was dismissed, but the kiss sparked a community backlash and criticism of the church.
"I don't think that kiss would have turned out to be the kiss heard round the world if it were not for Proposition 8," said Ash Johnsdottir, organizer of the Salt Lake City Kiss-In.
Below the fold are some of the stories, photos and videos of the day. Please feel free to share any others you may have as well...
(h/t Sean and Lurleen)
Here is a really sweet montage of the San Francisco Kiss-In:
More than 100 gay people, their family members and civil rights activists gathered at Library Square on Saturday to kiss and tell the public that everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, has the right to acknowledge their loved ones with the little token of affection."I would just like people to think a little more about who they love and why instead of who they hate and why," Charles Frost, a father and grandfather said after speaking to those gathered at the amphitheater as part of the Great Nationwide Kiss-In held this weekend in 50 cities nationwide and in Canada.
The en masse public display of affection was staged to replicate actual incidents in recent weeks in which gay couples in three cities, including Salt Lake City, were detained or arrested by security guards for what the couples say was kissing in public.
In Denver, same-sex and heterosexual couples gathered on the mall to kiss, hug and let others know that kissing, hugging and holding hands in public isn't a crime and shouldn't be treated like one."We've faced constant harassment, and our home has been vandalized," said Pamela Thiele, 61, of Denver, who was joined by her partner, Lauren Fortmiller, 62. The couple married in California and have been together for eight years.
"I've been filled with so much sadness and despair and I'm grateful to do something hing constructive," said Thiele, who said she heard about Saturday's event after it was posted on the Colorado Queer Straight Alliance website.
In Washington, D.C., 22 people, many of them strangers to one another, gathered under the scorching sun on Washington's National Mall to participate in the national smooch.
"This is America. A kiss on the cheek is OK," said Ian Thomas, 26, of Leesburg, Va., who organized the Washington Kiss-In. "It's got to be OK. If not, we're in serious trouble."
Chicago. This link also has a great photo gallery of the event.
More than 50 people gathered in the plaza surrounding Cloud Gate during what seemed as one of the hottest days of the year with one thing on their minds - kissing!Saturday afternoon marked the Great Nationwide Kiss-In where LGBT couples from around the country gathered at local public venues to send a message that "Kissing is Good" after three gay couples have recently been arrested for kissing in public.
The local 'Kiss-in' was organized by Join the Impact Chicago and even warranted a "warning" from the Illinois Family Institute that told parents to guard their children from such displays.
Michael also posted a wonderful video of the event in Chicago.
Oh noes, teh evul gayz r kising! Protekt yur childrun!!
What utter nonsense.
To ALL participants, I say this: "Kisses!"
As they say on FauxNews: We Report- You Decide!
This morning's "Kennebec Journal" reported in one large piece many of the latest stories we've talked about here on the Blend recently: Schubert Flint's involvement, SFMM's hypocrisy regarding out-of-state assistance (I would have liked MORE reporting on this, but eh! Whaddayagonnado...), and the large donations to No On 1 from EQCA and HRC.
It's a big 2 page spread entitled "Out-of-state donors help fuel debate on same-sex marriage" The piece ends with the following:
The money that Stand for Marriage Maine has received from national groups, particularly the National Organization for Marriage, was the subject of yet another critical e-mail - this one from a California group supporting same-sex marriage.
On Thursday, Californians Against Hate, based in San Diego, put out a media statement complaining that while Stand for Marriage Maine had received large sums of money from those groups, it wasn't apparent who had donated money to those groups in the first place.
"We certainly don't take much of it very seriously," Marc Mutty, chairman of Stand for Marriage Maine's executive committee, said, referring to the criticism by Californians Against Hate. "We are frustrated at the fact that it's yet one more distraction."
Fred Karger, founder of Californians Against Hate, sent a letter to the Maine Ethics Commission and the Attorney General's Office, raising allegations of money laundering.
Although I'm sure he is aware of this story, I've forwarded the article to Fred Karger for his reaction, btw.
It will be interesting to see what followup there is by Maine officials- here is what is being reported so far regarding that:
Jonathan Wayne, executive director of the commission, said his staff is interpreting the letter as a request for an investigation. They have forwarded the letter to the Stand for Marriage political action committee, he said. The staff needs to ask Karger for more specific information and charges, said Wayne.Campaign finance laws for candidates are fairly clear, said Wayne. Any money earmarked for a candidate from one party through an intermediary must be identified back to the source, he said. The laws for PAC reporting aren't as clear, said Wayne.
Kate Simmons, spokeswoman for the Attorney General's Office, said the office would aid the Ethics Commission in its in its work.
"We appreciate Wayne's responsibilities to the people of Maine, and we will cooperate with them to the extent we can," said Mutty. "We see all these accusations launched against us as very non-specific, just an attempt to further blur the issues."
The same Wickenheiser piece is being reported in the Maine Sunday Telegram and Portland Press Herald newspapers today as well, with the headline "Outside aid stirs furor in marriage campaign".
I like this type of complete media coverage very much. While not every Mainer is a Blender or even computer literate (go figure!), they ARE a very old-fashioned bunch and the Sunday newspaper is a staple of that. People read all of the "Letters To The Editor" and by Tuesday or so, letters will start being printed in reaction to this story.
The article is very complete in its information and should well serve the purpose of educating the Maine voters as to current events they might not otherwise have been made aware.
Online reactions are already pouring in, but after reading those since the public hearing, I've gotten to dismissing the majority of them. Admittedly not a very professional approach, but honest- there isn't an exchanging of ideas and information so much as a rant of "set in stone" viewpoints.
So now we wait and see what Mainers think!
Please join the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and Basic Rights Oregon (BRO) For a weekend of intimate events in Portland,featuring Kate Kend) and Basic Rights Oregon (BRO) For a weekend of intimate events in Portland,featuring Kate Kendell, Esq., NCLR Executive Director and Jeana Frazzini, BRO Executive Director
The State of Our Unions: LGBT Legal & Policy Briefing Saturday, September 12, 2009 3:00 pm â€" 5:00 pm
Flying Cat Coffee Company 3041 SE Division Portland, Oregon
The legal landscape for LGBT people is ever-changing, and this year, that has proved to be especially true! With new victories and defeats occurring at a faster pace than ever, it’s hard to keep track of where our struggle for justice stands, and how and where our relationships are protected. Join us for a presentation and discussion on the latest legal and policy issues affecting the LGBT community, including an update on moving forward with marriage equality in Oregon and other states and federal legislation and litigation. There is no cost to attend. No RSVP necessary.
A Social for Social Justice: Benefit Party with NCLR and BRO Sunday, September 13, 2009 3:00 pm â€" 5:00 pm
Nostrana Restaurant With award-winning Chef Cathy Whims 1401 SE Morrison Street Portland, Oregon So much has happened over this past year â€" we hope you can join us for a fun and intimate afternoon to catch up with NCLR and BRO and find out more about our current work and what lies ahead in the fight for our LGBT civil and human rights. Suggested Donation: $25, payable at the door. Please RSVP by September 4th to Dena Zaldúa-Hilkene at dzalduahilkene@nclrights.org with subject line “NCLR Portland Event†or call 415.365.1303. Reservations will be held at the door.
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