Celebrate love and equality by attending The Great Nationwide Kiss-In.

On Saturday, August 15 at 2pm EST/ 11am PT, the “Great Nationwide Kiss-In” will occur, as people all around the country will assemble in designated public locations and kiss. 

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While this event is intended to support the rights of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender people, I encourage all people to attend. It does not matter if you are straight, gay, or in between; if you support equality, affection and love, then this is the event for you.

The impetus for this event was the arrest of two men who were kissing in Salt Lake City’s Main Street Plaza, as well as other incidents of anti-gay discrimination in San Antonio and El Paso, TX. The event is being organized by David Mailloux and David Badash to make the statement that kissing is wonderful, and all people should feel comfortable kissing anywhere. Badash wrote in his blog that while he is not personally one to engage in public displays of affection, he’ll, “be damned if someone — citizen, neighbor, or the police — thinks they can tell me I can’t hold my boyfriend’s hand while walking down the street, or kiss him in public.” He adds, “Enough is enough. It’s time we call these ‘peace officers’ out. It’s time we showed them love can’t be stopped. It’s time for a nationwide kiss-in.” 

Locations that have confirmed are: Athens, GA. (College Avenue); Atlanta (Piedmont Park); Boston (Boston Common); Chicago/Oak Park (Oak Park Avenue and Lake Street); Cincinnati (5th and Vine); Denver (16th St. Mall, at Glenarm); Edmonton, Alberta (Legislature); Erie, PA (Erie Co. Courthouse); Fayetteville, AK (Plaza near Town Center); Houston (Discovery Green); Iowa City (Pedestrian Mall near Donnelly’s Pub); Irvine, CA (In Front of Steelhead Brewery); Los Angeles/Santa Monica (3rd Street Promenade near Farmers’ Market); Memphis, TN (Poplar & Highland); New Haven, CT (the Green); New York City (Battery Park, although there has also been talk of assembling in Times Square, too.); Normal, IL (City Hall); Parkersburg, WV(City Park band shelter); Philadelphia (Love Park, 16th St. and JFK Boulevard); Phoenix, AZ (Arizona State Capitol Building); Pittsburgh, PA (1000 Penn Avenue); Portland, OR. (Pioneer Courthouse Square); Richmond, VA, (TBA); Salt Lake City (Washington Square); San Diego (Manchester Grand Hyatt); San Francisco (Union Square); San Jose (City Hall); Salt Lake City, UT (Washington Square); San Antonio, TX (Riverwalk); Santa Barbara (Pardall Road); St. Louis, MO (City Hall); Toronto (TBA); Tulsa, OK (621 E. 4th St.); Washington, D.C. (National Mall), and more cities.  For the latest list of cities and meeting locations, check out the Kiss-in Facebook group.