Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

1. Towleroad's synopsis, which begins with the words "The Salt Lake Tribune reports" contains missing words or grammar errors, which kind of makes it difficult to read and understand.

   However, the closing sentence quoting the church spokesperson is a bold faced lie. It says:

   "Aune and Jones were not singled out for being gay and that they were 'politely asked to stop engaging in inappropriate behavior.'"

   Although the church refuses to state exactly what the inappropriate behavior was, I guess we can assume that it was same sex kissing since they do not ask opposite sex couples to leave the grounds. So, in fact, the victims WERE singled out for being gay. (Lie #1).

   Furthermore, initial press reports indicate that the reason that the couple was asked to leave the grounds and were never asked to stop any inappropriate behavior. In fact, the church claimed the exact inappropriate behavior was irrelevant since the plaza is private property and once someone is asked to leave for any reason, they are trespassing if they remain. The police report also fails to state that they were asked to cease any particular inappropriate behavior. Therefore the spokesperson lied when she claimed that they were politely asked to stop engaging in inappropriate behavior. (Lie #2).

   Posted by: Bryan J. Blumberg | Jul 15, 2009 12:16:52 PM

   
   

2. Bravo to the folks who peacefully showed their support by staging a kiss in. Bet the LDS wished their first reprehensible action against the two men had never happened. Talk about a slap in their collective Mormon faces!!!!!!!!!!

   Posted by: philberto | Jul 15, 2009 12:32:40 PM

   
   

3. While I disagree entirely with the actions of the Mormon Church in this matter, if it is in fact private property and they were asked to leave (politely or impolitely) and they did not leave, then it is trespassing. We can argue with Salt Lake over whether this should be private property or not. If this was a protest then they should admit it. These guys were likely the victim of rank bigotry, but in most places you can still discriminate against us with impunity. Its a sad world we still live in.

   Does anyone know if there are signs there saying it is private and not public?

   Posted by: swellster | Jul 15, 2009 1:29:11 PM

   
   

4. If they were drunk, on private property and making out then, after which they asked to leave..... Not everything is black and white here.

   Obviously, two drunk Gay guys were asked to leave a place. We get that. However, get a room dudes. I would say the same thing about a straight couple. Get a room.

   I do think the kissing protest is brilliant , however.

   Posted by: Derek Washington | Jul 15, 2009 2:35:38 PM

   
   

5. OK, I'm missing something here.......is it seriously being suggested that kissing and hugging in public is "inappropriate" behaviour ? Is that a serious comment or are they just having a laugh ? For Mormons, or anyone else, to make an issue of two guys kissing ( on public or private property) demonstrates a level of bigotry which should have been consigned to the darker years that have passed, or should have passed. So does "inappropriate" mean I don't like it ?

   Posted by: JackFknTwist | Jul 15, 2009 3:17:03 PM

   
   

6. Oddly a lot of public places can be deemed private space for various reasons.. Our Music Center here in Los Angeles has several large theaters that have been determined to be private spaces in court... so legally it could be either way depending upon precedent in SLC.

   Posted by: David B. 2 | Jul 15, 2009 6:06:43 PM

   
   

7. Really the only thing that matters is that nobody believes the mormons when they claimed they weren't picking on gay men. That's the kind of credibility that only tens of millions of bigoted ad buys can get ya. Awesome job. There's a reason Fred Phelps isn't protesting at mormon churches.

   Posted by: KJ | Jul 15, 2009 8:45:22 PM

   
   

8. I still don't feel like we're getting the whole story here.

   For instance, if these guys were having a total makeout session on Church property, would they have admitted it to the police? I doubt it.

   Hey, it may well be that the security guards overreacted to nothing.

   But if a couple drunk guys are having a full-blown makeout session on private church property and are asked to leave, don't, and then are forcibly removed.

   Then I honestly don't give a damn.

   Anyone can throw you out for having a makeout session. From the manager at the local Wal Mart, to supervisor at your local library. And no one gives a flying fig.

   I don't see why a Church would be exempt from that logic.

   Posted by: Seth R. | Jul 15, 2009 8:48:39 PM

   
   

9. "For instance, if these guys were having a total makeout session on Church property, would they have admitted it to the police? I doubt it."

   Seth, I think you're letting your Mormon imagination run wild. There is absolutely no indication that these guys were having a total makeout session. It's a standard suggestion to justify a double standard, and it's bogus. And you should know that this particular property--while owned by the Church--is hardly private. It's a public thoroughfare, one where straight couples are not arrested for minor PDAs. I've seen straight couples having makeout sessions on all kinds of properties, and somehow they never seem to get arrested. I've also had Mormons on my truly private property many times--they come to my door with propaganda. I consider that inappropriate behavior, yet I don't have them arrested. Come on, arrests for hugs and kisses--how can that be anything other than overreation?

   Posted by: Ernie | Jul 16, 2009 12:31:41 AM

   
   

10. My question is how many other places would this have been treated the same or worse? I see straight couples making out in a variety of locations and often wonder, how would they be treated if the kiss was same-sex? Between two women? Between two men? We are truly second class folks, for when we do something that happens millions of times a day across the country, it is fodder for police reports and the 24-hour news cycle.

    Posted by: David Ezell | Jul 16, 2009 4:58:51 AM

    
    

11. Is there anybody still alive who doesn't get how much mormons hate gays? They can't be public about their hatred of blacks anymore so they've turned their attention to the gays and lesbians. Somehwere, somehow, mormons have to have somebody to villify and hate. It's been a part of their culture since the beginning. There is always an enemy for mormons - it supports their stance that being persecuted or wronged means they're god's chosen people.

    A steady stream of negative publicity from the mormons is a good thing because it's going to help people understand just how deep their bigotry runs.

    A speaker at the Buttarspallooza event here in Salt Lake a few months ago thanked Chris Buttars for making it more abundantly clear than ever just how much mormons hate gays. Ditto for this latest fiasco - it has helped clarify mormon bigotry and that until threatened with loss of their tax-exempt status they're not going to change their attitudes and practices.

    Posted by: Tom Clark | Jul 16, 2009 1:07:22 PM

    
    

12. To see such bigotry coming from people (gays) who have experienced such hatred themselves is very disappointing.Mormons have been wonderful to me and my partner.Let us not stereotype others if we don't want to be stereotyped ourselves.Stop the religious bigotry.

    Posted by: Steve | Jul 30, 2009 7:21:16 PM

    
    

Post a comment

Name:

Email Address:

URL:

Remember personal info?

Comments: