Letter-to-the-Editor:

In the days leading up to the August 15th Great Nationwide Kiss In, David Mailloux, one of its main organizers, made some contradictory and, in my opinion, disconcerting statements to the public. In setting the ground rules for the kiss-in, Mailloux stated: "It is our goal to create the strongest possible statement we can against harassment of the LGBT community." He is also on record as advocating that the kiss-in be as non-controversial as possible. In an email to organizers, Mailloux said specifically: "... there are important details of which you should be aware. NO MORMON CHURCHES. Our M.O. here involves not antagonizing any specific religious affiliation, particularly the Latter Day Saints Folk." Is David Mailloux providing cover for a religious institution that spent millions of tax-free dollars to defeat marriage equality last year in California? How can he stress the need for the Great Nationwide Kiss In to make the strongest possible statement against anti-gay harassment when he soft-pedals the issue of our civil rights?

The Empowering Spirits Foundation, a national, LGBT social equality group and a co-sponsor of the kiss-in, has stated that one purpose of the kiss-in was to encourage dialogue with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Does Davis Mailloux and this co-sponsor of the Great Nationwide Kiss In believe in sitting down and having tea with such a bigoted, homophobic institution? Through their tax exempt status, churches like Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints charge us for their hateful, anti-gay rhetoric. It is such hate speech which translates into harassment of and discrimination and violence against LGBT people - which by the way, is on the rise.

On the face of it, Mailloux and his cohorts, wittingly or not, are defusing the rage - the healthy rage - LGBT people harbor into polite, peaceful, non-controversial kiss-ins across a nation peppered with churches and right-wing groups that, if not calling outright for our extinction, are funneling their hate speech into attacks on us on the street.

In the hopes that far more strident Great Nationwide Kiss Ins take place in the future, unencumbered of the controlling, conservatizing influence of the likes of Mr. Mailloux and his ilk, may I stress what my group, Gay Liberation Network feels ...

"... that loud and vigorous protests in front of Mormon churches around the country is a good strategy. Doing so, we think, would highlight to the leaders and parishioners of that church that there is a political price they will be made to pay for the financial expression of their bigotry. It will also, we hope, serve as a warning to other churches thinking of imitating them. At the very least, protests will direct the spotlight of attention on Mormons and force them to explain themselves to a wider and hopefully more skeptical public."

- Craig Teichen, Gay Liberation Network