Mormon swat team in action

[fredv3b]

Is kissing illegal in the USA????
are public displays of affection illegal???
If so the presedent should be arrested for kissing his wife on the steps of the white house after he was elected. Right???
These people that hide behind a religion when they are homophobic should be named, shamed and taken to justice.

Of course kissing in public is legal, its easily covered by the right to freedom of expression. However that does not preclude owners of private property from controlling what does and does not take place on their property. The kiss took place on the the property of the church of the LDS, and they are well within their rights to prohibit gay kisses on their property. The legal question is what means are they allowed to use to enforce such rules, and what means are excessive force. Additionally since the property is in use as a public thoroughfare to what extent do they have to signpost the rules they have to follow to use the thoroughfare.

[princealbertofb]

OK so about holding your head down.... We were walking around Geneva last night, with lots of people milling around of all nationalities and all sorts of persuasions surely. The veiled muslim women stood out like sore thumbs.... and I was profoundly moved inside about how unfair it was that I felt I couldn't hold my lover's hand because I might be in danger, while these women (blatantly or because they were conforming to their male population's requests?) defied what our European society's dressing norms were. I wouldn't mind the burka or the hijab so much if it didn't also ultimately mean that our community might be discriminated or persecuted again the way it is in the countries of the Middle East. The only way I can see it, would be for everyone to wear a burka until that sign of being part of the community didn't mean anything. But with summer heat, who would want to be wearing such heavy clothing and deprive themselves of a bit of fresh air?

We only saw two young men displaying their chests, (but then Geneva is not well known for displays of anything but blatant wealth) and not too many women showing off their charms either. Marshlander said he felt safer there than in London and yet, I could not have felt safe holding his hand in public. I know it's partly an age thing, and partly a feeling that I'd rather be safe than attract homophobe comments or physical reactions. Yet Geneva ought to be safe for all citizens. We certainly have to beware of norms rapidly and radically changing till we won't be allowed to do anything at all, even in the private sphere.

[princealbertofb]

At no point did I see these two men kissing, nor how they were kissing.... All I saw in the video was the harrassment. If things like the Mark Hall story can happen in Canada, shouldn't they be happening in the other supposedly free and human rights abiding countries of the world?

[CurtCB]

Is kissing illegal in the USA????
are public displays of affection illegal???
If so the presedent should be arrested for kissing his wife on the steps of the white house after he was elected. Right???
These people that hide behind a religion when they are homophobic should be named, shamed and taken to justice.

What the conflict arose from was that the park had been bought by the Mormon cult from the city but was not marked as private property. On private property in the US the Owner has the right to deem what is appropriate, however that property has to be marked by a sign or boundary fence.

I find it ironic that the Mormons spend way less time cleaning up their branches in Texas and Arizona where children are in multiple marriages with 70 year old men than they do persecuting gays.

I guess in their view child rape is good and homosexuality is bad.

[marshlander]

... I find it ironic that the Mormons spend way less time cleaning up their branches in Texas and Arizona where children are in multiple marriages with 70 year old men than they do persecuting gays.

I guess in their view child rape is good and homosexuality is bad.

Of course, the official view of the mainstream Church is that polygamy was outlawed during the late nineteeth century. Most present day members of the church believe this to be so. In fact it continued almost up to 1920. The Mormon tradition has spawned many spin-off sects who continue to perpetuate some of these abusive behaviours. To the best of my knowledge these are not condoned by the official church. A friend of mine has just finished writing a devastating examination of evidence in regard to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which he has published in three volumes. The first of these examines in much detail the practices of polygamy and the (consistantly denied) practice of polyandry

For anyone curious enough check, find it here.