I’ve kissed a woman to whom I am not married inside the Temple ground gates, in [...]]]> I’m speechless … the Church doesn’t have to recognize gay marriages if they don’t want to, but to have security guards assault a gay couple for a quick peck on the cheek on the thoroughfare through the property?

I’ve kissed a woman to whom I am not married inside the Temple ground gates, in the Tabernacle, and in the Conference Center, in sight of the greeters and tour guides. No one said a word. This is not about public displays of affection, but about harassment of gay and lesbian people.

Gay couple cuffed, cited after kiss near LDS temple – Salt Lake Tribune

A gay couple says they were detained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints security guards after one man kissed another on the cheek Thursday on Main Street Plaza.”

They targeted us,” said Matt Aune, 28. “We werent doing anything inappropriate or illegal, or anything most people would consider inappropriate for any other couple.”

Both Aune and his partner, Derek Jones, were cited by Salt Lake City police for trespassing on the plaza, located at 50 East North Temple, according to Sgt. Robin Snyder.”

If a person is asked to leave private property for whatever reason and refuses to do so, that is technically trespassing,” she said. The property was transferred from Salt Lake City to the church in 2003, and it is a popular thoroughfare.

The Police Department on Friday denied a Salt Lake Tribune request for a full police report on the incident, citing Utah laws giving them five business days to respond to records requests.

Aune said the incident started when he and Jones were walking back to his Salt Lake City home from a Twilight Concert Series show at the Gallivan Center. The couple live just blocks away from the plaza in the Marmalade district of the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

The pair crossed the plaza holding hands, Aune said. About 20 feet from the edge of the plaza, Aune said he stopped, put his arm around Jones and kissed him on the cheek.

Several security guards then arrived and asked the pair to leave, saying that public displays of affection are not allowed on the church property, Aune and Jones said. The pair protested, saying they often see other couples holding hands, kissing or celebrating their marriages, said Jones.

“We were kind of standing up for ourselves,” Jones said. “It was obviously because we were gay.”

After about five minutes, the guards then put Jones on the ground and handcuffed him, he said. Aune said he was also cuffed roughly, and suffered bruises and a swollen wrist. Aune and Jones said they told their side of the story to police when officers arrived.

Police arrived about 10:30 p.m., spoke with two security guards and issued the citations, Snyder said.

Aune said he and his boyfriend were told by the guards they were banned from all church property for six months.

Main Street Plaza, located next to the Salt Lake City LDS Temple, was transferred from city ownership to church property in the late 1990s. To end years of litigation over a public easement, which would allow protests on the plaza, the church gave the city property for a west-side community center. Aune said he was one of those who protested the transfer at the time.

“They claimed in 2003 this would never happen, they were never going to arrest anyone,” he said.

The Tribune has requested comment from the LDS Church, but as of 4:45 p.m. Friday had not yet received an anticipated statement on the issue.

And people wonder why I think the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is fucked up … members of the Church, as individuals, I have no problems with. The institution itself? Major problems … they are just as oppressive as any other organized religious institution, if not more so.

Jesus preached love, people … he didn’t preach hate.

I think it’s time for everyone, gay and straight alike, to head for Main Street Plaza and start making out on the grounds.

Recent search strings leading people to my blog:

These are all Google search strings that have [...]]]> … what’s with all the fascination about pro cyclists’ personal lives?

Recent search strings leading people to my blog:

• Tyler Hamilton divorce
• Tyler Hamilton IRS
• Lance Armstrong divorce
• Will Frischkorn divorce
• Greg Lemond divorce
• Richard Sachs gay
• Michael Balls Floyd Landis
• Floyd Landis gay
• Tyler Hamilton gay

These are all Google search strings that have shown up recently in my SiteMeter stats, and you’ve got to dig pretty far in to Google results to hit my site from some of these …

(CNN) — In a much-anticipated 4-3 ruling issued Thursday, the California Supreme Court struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional

The ruling clears the way for the state to become the second to legalize same-sex marriage.

Several gay and lesbian couples — along with [...]]]>

California ban on same-sex marriage struck down

(CNN) — In a much-anticipated 4-3 ruling issued Thursday, the California Supreme Court struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional

The ruling clears the way for the state to become the second to legalize same-sex marriage.

Several gay and lesbian couples — along with the city of San Francisco and gay rights groups — had sued, saying they were victims of unlawful discrimination.

A lower court ruled San Francisco acted unlawfully in issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but Thursday’s ruling overturned that decision.

“In contrast to earlier times, our state now recognizes that an individual’s capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual’s sexual orientation,” the court said in the 120-page ruling, “and, more generally, that an individual’s sexual orientation — like a person’s race or gender — does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights.

“We therefore conclude that in view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship, the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples.”

I’ve always felt that it was just plain wrong to deny gay couples involved in a committed long-term and loving relationship the same basic rights that a violent, abusive husband has simply by virtue that his wife hasn’t yet filed for divorce.

As the Court’s Opinion states:

… an individual’s capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual’s sexual orientation, and, more generally, that an individual’s sexual orientation — like a person’s race or gender — does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights. We therefore conclude that in view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship, the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples.