YES: Hundreds of people staged a kiss-in to protest a store’s anti-LGBTQ actions
Hundreds of folks from London’s LGBTQ community literally fought hate with love during a “kiss-in,” protesting a supermarket that had kicked out an affectionate gay couple.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJDsHGkgmWN
Partners Thomas Rees and Joshua Bradwell were having a normal day — grocery shopping at Sainsbury’s, a supermarket in London.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIDqCXzgpe2
During the errand, a security guard for Sainsbury’s suddenly escorted the cute couple outside, claiming that some woman in the store had been made “uncomfortable” by Rees and Bradwell’s handholding. SERIOUSLY.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEuIuwvyP-i
Outraged by the discriminatory act, the LGBTQ community made sure Sainsbury’s knew they had committed injustice. So on August 13, around 200 people showed up at the market and began a kiss-in.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJD5FQdjBYM
According to APlus, passionate speeches, joyful dancing, and powerful LGBT-flag waving were also present during the protest, called the #BigGayKissIn.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJFUraSB-Ob
Sainsbury’s acknowledged their wrongdoing and even provided food and water to the protesters during the kiss-in.
A rep for the supermarket told the BBC, “We do our best to make sure everyone feels welcome in our stores but occasionally we make mistakes. We are working hard to make sure lessons are learnt.” They said they will be investigating the act and have offered Rees and Bradwell store credit.
It’s important to note that this isn’t the first kiss-in to take place at a Sainsbury’s. The BBC reports that at another store location in 2014, a lesbian couple organized a similar protest following their ejection after sharing a kiss on the cheek.
LGBTQ discrimination is horrifyingly prevalent, so we must celebrate these kinds of protests for being beautiful acts of resistance and overpowering hate!
