MORMONS ENERGIZE NATIONWIDE GAY KISS-IN! PHOTOS and VIDEO!

August 18, 2009.

The Mormon church’s vigorous, well-heeled 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” that took place Saturday, according to The Associated Press. The event was organized after gay couples in Salt Lake City, San Antonio, and El Paso were arrested, cited for trespassing or harassed by police for publicly kissing. The Utah court case was dismissed, but the kiss sparked a community backlash and widespread criticism of the Church of Latter Day Saints.
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Lesbian couple kissing at the San Diego Gay Kiss-In, 8-15-09 photo

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Over 50 demonstrations were held in the U.S. To mention a few: 200 people filled a Salt Lake amphitheater for the Kiss-In. Twenty-two people, many of them strangers to one another, gathered under the scorching sun on Washington’s National Mall to participate in the national smooch. They were gay and straight, couples and singles of all ages, with placards that read “Equal Opportunity Kisser” and “A Kiss is a Not a Crime.” About 50 people, mostly gay and lesbian couples, gathered at Piedmont Park in downtown Atlanta and kissed for about five minutes.
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Photo of a San Diego male couple together 31 years getting it on at the national Kiss-In 8-15-09

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Last year, at the urging of church leaders, Mormons donated tens of millions of dollars to the “Yes on 8″ campaign to fight against gay marriage in California and were among the most vigorous volunteers. After the vote, many gay rights advocates turned their anger toward the church in protests and marches outside temples that singled out Mormons as the key culprits in restricting the rights of gay couples.
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Kiss-In Chicago 8-15-09 photo

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That constituted a setback for the faith, argued Jan Shipps, a professor of religious history and a Mormon expert from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Mormonism, Shipps said, has struggled with its image since its western New York founding in 1830 for a host of reasons, including polygamy, which makes a mockery of the church’s fight to uphold “traditional marriage.” Read more at 365gay News.
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Photo of male couple kissing at the San Diego Kiss-In 8-15-09

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Watch this video montage of the Kiss-In demonstration in the gay mecca of San Francisco 8-15-09”

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Lesbians doing their thing at the Kiss-In Santa Barbara, 8-15-09 photo

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Check out the Denver Kiss-In in this video from Saturday, August 15, 2009:

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