Posted on 07/11/2009 7:57:48 AM PDT by kellynla
SALT LAKE CITY -- A gay couple say they were detained by security guards on a plaza owned by the Mormon church and later cited by police, claiming it stemmed from a kiss on the cheek.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said that the men became argumentative and refused to leave after being asked to stop their "inappropriate behavior." The men say they were targeted because they are gay.
Matt Aune said he and his partner, Derek Jones, were walking home from a concert nearby on Thursday night, cutting through the plaza near the Salt Lake City Mormon temple.
Aune, 28, said he gave Jones, 25, a hug and kiss and that the two were then approached by a security guard, who asked them to leave, telling them they were being inappropriate and that public displays of affection aren't allowed on the property. He said other guards arrived and the men were handcuffed.
"We asked what we were doing wrong," Aune told The Associated Press.
Church spokeswoman Kim Farah said in a statement Friday that the men were "politely asked to stop engaging in inappropriate behavior _ just as any other couple would have been."
"They became argumentative and used profanity and refused to leave the property," she said. The church did not immediately respond to a request for more comment.
Police later arrived and both men were cited with misdemeanor trespassing, Salt Lake City Police Sgt. Robin Snyder said.
"It doesn't matter what they were asked to leave for," Snyder said. "If they are asked to leave and don't they are ... trespassing."
The church has been the target of protests over its support of a ban on gay marriage in California.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Usually these acts are stagged. But we will see. The security guard sounds a little overly aggressive.
I bet it was staged. The poor beleaguered sodomists.
A lot of about being “Gay”, seems to be about always making some kind of self-indulgent, self-righteous, narcissistic fuss about being gay and “special” and a big deal about your “rights”.
I wish everyone had a responsibility to always be discreet and private in their public behavior.
I’m real tired of hearing about everyone’s “rights”. I’d like to see more of their responsible and quiet behavior. Actually, maybe I’d like to see and hear less of people period.
And it sounds more like they were doing a lot more than "a kiss on the cheek".
Of course it was staged. They went onto private property, ostentatiously broke the rules, and then forced a confrontation in order to create the headline they did.
Private property — they should be able to kick out a straight, gay, mixed, Jehovah’s Witness, Evangelical Christian, Muslim, Catholic, etc... couple for whatever reason they wish.
Everything about sodomy is shitty.
They became argumentative and used profanity and refused to leave the property,”
In other words “hissy fit” “meow” “hiss hiss”
"It doesn't matter what they were asked to leave for," Snyder said. "If they are asked to leave and don't they are ... trespassing."
End of story, case closed.
This is a staged performance. You're right they have to do something publically that they know most people find disgusting then when asked to stop make a big deal about their "rights".. Liberals always waht the right to not be offended, well what about the rest of us? Why do we need to put up with public displays we may find offensive? It was no accident that this was done in front of a Morman church.
In my younger days, say 25 years ago, I used to take girlfriends to the parking lot of the Mormon Temple in Oakland late at night cause it’s on top of a hill and has a great view.
I learned quick that they did not mind us being there BUT....no smooching, no drinking and no smoking; and I think they were always watching.........
It may just be a poorly written article, but from the paragraph order it would seem they were handcuffed before they were asked/refused to leave. If so bad rent-a-cop, incoming lawsuit.
I should also note that I have kissed LadyWolf in that plaza without issue...
They’re not a couple. Maybe a pair, but not a couple.
Of course they were targeted because they were gay, and of course it was inappropriate. Who else kisses the same sex in public like that?
That was the key issue. They were on private property and if the guards asked them to leave, they would be obliged to do so.
...and here's the local Channel 4, ABC News version.
More like Drama Queen - and the phrase nets me a twofer....
Perhaps it was a “French Kiss” BETWEEN THE CHEEKS! lol
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