(July 13) -- Protesters engaged in very public displays of affection in front of the Mormon church headquarters in Salt Lake City after two men were detained for sharing a kiss on the cheek in a plaza owned by the church.
Matt Aune said he and his partner, Derek Jones, were walking home from a concert on the night of July 9 when they cut through the Main Street Plaza near the Salt Lake City Mormon temple.
Skip over this content
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.
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.
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 incident sparked a protest on Sunday: a "kiss-in" at the headquarters of the LDS Church in Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
More than 100 people, some wearing bright lipstick and others with hearts pinned to their clothing, gathered near the Main Street Plaza to share kisses on the cheek and mouth to show their support for Aune and Jones. Security guards and later police stopped the protesters from actually entering onto the plaza.
Jones and Aune attended the event, but remained quiet at the back of the crowd.
"I just want to get the message out," Jones said. "We're very flattered and very proud."
The Tribune reported the incident and protest have become a "flash point" of controversies involving the LDS Church: first, the sale of the plaza from the city to the church 10 years ago and second, the church's more recent support of California's gay marriage ban.
Skip over this content
