USA Today, July 12, 2009
There was a protest with a twist on Sunday -- a smooch-fest on the headquarters grounds of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons).
The call went out this weekend on social media to "swarm" the Main Street Plaza in Salt Lake City. Despite its public sounding name, the plaza is owned by the Church, which sets rules for "appropriate" behavior, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
On Friday, a gay couple was strolling by the lovely gardened plaza in front of the Mormon Temple when Matt Aune gave his partner, Dereck Jones a peck on the cheek -- and got handcuffed and cited for trespassing and inappropriate behavior -- or something like that. No police reports have been made public yet, the newspaper says. The men also admit to responding to the citation with profanity so no one may wind up looking good in that scenario.
Sunday, kiss-in participants were asked to gather with paper hearts on their sleeves or across their faces on masks, to engage in "gentle" displays of public affection on church-owned Main Street Plaza or nearby public sidewalks, former Salt Lake City councilwoman Deeda Seed told the paper.
According to the Associated Press, gay and straight couples "exchanged small kisses and pecks at the plaza's south entrance" and those who strayed on to Church property were ushered off by police and Church security.
The Salt Lake Tribune has interesting background on the very public-looking priave plaza:
The kiss happened on a former public easement given up by city in 2003 in a controversial land-swap deal. The easement became private property, allowing the church to ban protesting, smoking, sunbathing and other "offensive, indecent, obscene, lewd or disorderly speech, dress or conduct," church officials said at the time. In exchange, the city got church property for a west-side community center.
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