Gay | July 11, 2009 | 4 comments

New Salt Lake City Crime: Being a Man While Kissing Another Man

source: http://www.queerty.com/new-salt-lake-city-crime-being-a-man-while-kissing-another-man-20090711/

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kinolina
On Main Street Plaza in Salt Lake City this past Thursday, July 9, 2009, a gay couple were handcuffed and arrested for trespassing and sharing a display of affection nearly 20-feet from the plaza's edge, as cited in a similar story published in the Salt Lake Tribune ("Gay couple cuffed, cited after kiss near LDS temple", 10 July 2009). The couple's show of affection Thursday evening on Main Street Plaza in the shadow of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple was provocation for several security officers to confront Matt Aune and his partner Derek Jones on charges of "inappropriate behavior." Aune and Jones described to Salt Lake Tribune reporter Lindsay Whitehurst that they were crossing the plaza holding hands, and then stopped to embrace, and Aune placed a kiss on Jones' cheek. The couple was returning home, just blocks away from the plaza in the Marmalade district, after attending a Twilight Concert Series show at the Gallivan Center. Security guards aggressively cuffed Aune on the ground on charges of "inappropriate behavior" after telling the men to leave, then detained them for Salt Lake City police who arrived later and issued trespassing citations against Aune and Jones. Trespassing charges were defended in favor of the church, because both Aune and Jones were on the plaza, a pedestrian public thoroughfare that used to be city property until 2003 when a land-swap exchange was arranged between the church and the city.

Photo: Matt Aune and Derek Jones (pictured). Image courtesy Salt Lake Tribune.
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4 comments // New Salt Lake City Crime: Being a Man While Kissing Another Man

  • kinolina
    • 0
      kinolina  

    • @unclecharlie The news articles about this issue is regarding what is perceived as "inappropriate behavior" if you have read the articles on this story ( "Trespassing case? Gay couple detained after kiss near LDS temple", Salt Lake Tribune, 11 July 2009, and "Gay couple detained near Mormon plaza after kiss", United Press International, 11 July 2009).

      Matt Aune and Derek Jones, the couple detained by security, defended their action as they have seen other couples share open displays of affection -- holding hands and kissing, according to reporter Lindsay Whitehurst's story for the Salt Lake Tribune. Where the two men embraced and kissed happened 20 feet away from the edge of the plaza on a "former public easement given up by (the) city in 2003 in a controversial land-swap deal," writes Lindsay. Both Aune and Jones believe that they were targeted by security because they are gay.

    • 2 years ago
  • unclecharlie
    • 0
      unclecharlie  

    • Well, I would agree that the Mormons went a little overboard, but I think the Mormons are right to object to their behavior, which is a "disordered appetite". If I am fat, I don't think I should "empower" myself by stuffing my face with deep fried Snickers bars! I should just refrain from that negative, self indulgent behavior. Let me get my umbrella before you rain fire and brimstone down on me!

    • 2 years ago
  • tillotson5
    • 0
      tillotson5  

    • Please understand that not all Mormons are jerks. I am LDS and am embarrassed by the actions of the security guards, and there are many of us who think that treating another person badly for whatever reason is not OK.

    • 2 years ago
  • timetide
    • 0
      timetide  

    • For kissing his boyfriend on the cheek near a church thay got arrested? I know its utah but I still wouldn't have thought they would go that far off the deep end.

    • 2 years ago
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