Gay activists to set up Stockyards kissing booth

Fort Worth's western heritage is set to clash with a modern lifestyle this weekend, when a gay activist group sets up a kissing booth in the heart of the Stockyards.

[CHAS]

I went to Florida when I should have gone to Ft. Worth. darn

[Texana]

As a long time Fort Worth resident (39 years) and an open and highly visible gay activist, I am not happy about this.

A kissing booth that promotes Public Displays of Affection is a tacky idea, whether the participants are straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, queer, questioning, or otherwise self-identified.

Equal Rights under the Law should never be confused with (or associated with) the ability to be inappropriate in public. I wish the organizers of this non-event would rethink the statement they want to make.

I also wish that the sponsoring group would stay over in Dallas County where (it is rumoured) they are headquartered. Fort Worth and Dallas are completely different cultures. Fort Worth was the first to have legal protections for GLBT citizens passed by our City Council ... several years before Dallas ... and the community here knows how to plan and to accomplish our goals in a manner in keeping with the "Fort Worth Way".

[McMike]

Texana wrote:

As a long time Fort Worth resident (39 years) and an open and highly visible gay activist, I am not happy about this.
A kissing booth that promotes Public Displays of Affection is a tacky idea, whether the participants are straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, queer, questioning, or otherwise self-identified.
Equal Rights under the Law should never be confused with (or associated with) the ability to be inappropriate in public. I wish the organizers of this non-event would rethink the statement they want to make.
I also wish that the sponsoring group would stay over in Dallas County where (it is rumoured) they are headquartered. Fort Worth and Dallas are completely different cultures. Fort Worth was the first to have legal protections for GLBT citizens passed by our City Council ... several years before Dallas ... and the community here knows how to plan and to accomplish our goals in a manner in keeping with the "Fort Worth Way".

And just how is kissing in public inappropriate? As long as it's not tongue-down-the-throat but the article specifically mentions kisses, hugs and affection. I think this idea rocks. What we need is a public booth where kissing, which is LEGAL, is going to be seen by the public with media attention around. When two men kiss in public, and there's no media around, you can be rest assured the police will come and put a stop to it and arrest the men if needed by trumping up bullshite charges. I would love to be there to see the fumes coming from the homophobes. It's about time.

[Ed D35]

Texana wrote:

As a long time Fort Worth resident (39 years) and an open and highly visible gay activist, I am not happy about this.
A kissing booth that promotes Public Displays of Affection is a tacky idea, whether the participants are straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, queer, questioning, or otherwise self-identified.
Equal Rights under the Law should never be confused with (or associated with) the ability to be inappropriate in public. I wish the organizers of this non-event would rethink the statement they want to make.
I also wish that the sponsoring group would stay over in Dallas County where (it is rumoured) they are headquartered. Fort Worth and Dallas are completely different cultures. Fort Worth was the first to have legal protections for GLBT citizens passed by our City Council ... several years before Dallas ... and the community here knows how to plan and to accomplish our goals in a manner in keeping with the "Fort Worth Way".

While I somewhat see your point, I have to strongly disagree. While some find PDA's not acceptable or whatever, this is just one form of the equality forum that we ALL are trying to fight for...the bigger picture here is acceptable everywhere period that's what we are fighting for equality period. I know I am and WE are. This isn't just about what's best for Fort Worth or Dallas, or Houston this is supposed to be a global effort. I think that I would be also correct in saying that this is more than just what you are casually calling cultural, it's more than that it's about unconditional acceptance. Furthermore, I don't consider showing my husband in public a "tacky display" I love him and if I want to give him a kiss, hold his hand, or hug him in public that's called equality, if straight people can do it why shouldn't we??? We are always respectful and do not do things for attention or act anything out of the context of apropriate as the majority of the straight population goes above and beyond the act of being inappropriate, that's not my conclusion it's a shared general concencous if you want to take the time to poll people in general. So NO I will not stay back in the shadows for anything, I have nothing to be ashamed of and neither should anyone else when it comes to being treated with equality for all.

[OutVoice]

Nope you are there, still got the bigots n idgits I see. Oh yeah AND Bush. Ha ha

Howdy wrote:

Wow, nothin but steers and queers to be in Ft. Worth. Keep that nasty stuff at home out of the public's view. Man and woman that's how it is meant to be anything else is just sickening. To fags or two lesbians cant make a baby. BECAUSE those two sexes don't go together.

[McMike]

Howdy wrote:

Wow, nothin but steers and queers to be in Ft. Worth. Keep that nasty stuff at home out of the public's view. Man and woman that's how it is meant to be anything else is just sickening. To fags or two lesbians cant make a baby. BECAUSE those two sexes don't go together.

Oh, we don't go together??? Do you even know where a man's G-spot is or maybe you don't realize half your erection is inside of you. Women have to fake all the time when men are screwing them but I have not once heard of a gay man or woman faking with a same-sex partner. If you want to discuss oral, men's mouths are twice as big, five times as powerful, we know your johnson just as well, if not better, as you do and you never, ever, have to talk the person into swallowing.

Don't worry, we all realize your trailer park home schooling doesn't get you very far in the real world.

[Texana]

McMike wrote:

<quoted text>
And just how is kissing in public inappropriate? As long as it's not tongue-down-the-throat but the article specifically mentions kisses, hugs and affection. I think this idea rocks. What we need is a public booth where kissing, which is LEGAL, is going to be seen by the public with media attention around. When two men kiss in public, and there's no media around, you can be rest assured the police will come and put a stop to it and arrest the men if needed by trumping up bullshite charges. I would love to be there to see the fumes coming from the homophobes. It's about time.

McMike, anal sex is LEGAL, but that doesn't make it appropriate for public consumption.(And yes, I know that's an extreme point, but you get my drift.)

Let me be clear. I hug and show affection to my same sex friends (both straight and gay) all the time, but it's a spontaneous, natural thing ... I don't just do it from 5:00 to 6:00 on a Saturday night down in the Stockyards for the benefit of the media ... or just to make a point. Heck, I've even been hugged by same sex city council members (gay and straight) and my state senator (straight) in public ... and guess what? I've never been harrassed by the police or even had an eyebrow raised in my direction, not ever.

No one is going to become more accepting of our community when we attempt to engage them through deliberate provocation. Has anyone ever won your heart or mind by being obnoxious and affronting you? I bet not. That's just not the way it works in the real world.

[Texana]

Ed D35 wrote:

<quoted text>
We are always respectful and do not do things for attention ...

And that's EXACTLY the point I was making. Setting up a kissing both in the Historic Stockyards is a form of showing DISRESPECT to the City and is only being done to create a MEDIA CIRCUS. Plus it's being sponsored by a group of agitators who do not live here, and will not be affected by any backlash that they create.

I'll tell you one thing I admire about my city ... Fort Worth is open-minded and fair enough to allow these people to express themselves. You and I both know that there are a lot of places in this country where their permit would be pulled ... if it had ever issued in the first place.

[Texana]

McMike wrote:

<quoted text>
And just how is kissing in public inappropriate? As long as it's not tongue-down-the-throat but the article specifically mentions kisses, hugs and affection. I think this idea rocks. What we need is a public booth where kissing, which is LEGAL, is going to be seen by the public with media attention around. When two men kiss in public, and there's no media around, you can be rest assured the police will come and put a stop to it and arrest the men if needed by trumping up bullshite charges. I would love to be there to see the fumes coming from the homophobes. It's about time.

My friend, if that's the way you feel, I would strongly encourage you to put your money where your mouth is and set up a same sex kissing booth in the most conservative area of Pompano Beach, FL. Make sure to notify the local media and submit the story to Topix.

Then come back here and tell us what you think you accomplished towards making your city more LGTBQ friendly. That will make very interesting reading.

[Imprtnrd]

A kissing booth in the stockyards? YUCK.(not the kissing....but location) Better hope it isn't downwind from the animals.

[FINSTOTHELEFT]

O.U will come down and straighten you guys out

[News Flash]

If they do not have permission from Stockyards Station they will not be allowed to set up a booth of ANY kind. There are RULES regardless of your sexual orientation.

[Rusty Williams]

It will be great to see gay lovers Westly Shaw and Mike Good at the kissing booth again

[popeye]

what an great place to kiss a pig.at a gay stockyard under the MOON.another great ideas?

[popeye]

i heard the cows are stump broke .bring your own stool.

[Tonto]

Yet another DFW event turned into a spectacle instead of the family friendly event that it was intended to be. I guess we (us straight folks) will have have to start disrupting your events. Sometimes it is just nice to take the family out and have a good time among people. It does not always have to be an opportunity to promote your personal beliefs and lifestyle.

[Travis Bickle]

Exactly Texana

Texana wrote:

<quoted text>
McMike, anal sex is LEGAL, but that doesn't make it appropriate for public consumption.(And yes, I know that's an extreme point, but you get my drift.)
Let me be clear. I hug and show affection to my same sex friends (both straight and gay) all the time, but it's a spontaneous, natural thing ... I don't just do it from 5:00 to 6:00 on a Saturday night down in the Stockyards for the benefit of the media ... or just to make a point. Heck, I've even been hugged by same sex city council members (gay and straight) and my state senator (straight) in public ... and guess what? I've never been harrassed by the police or even had an eyebrow raised in my direction, not ever.
No one is going to become more accepting of our community when we attempt to engage them through deliberate provocation. Has anyone ever won your heart or mind by being obnoxious and affronting you? I bet not. That's just not the way it works in the real world.

[Rick in Kansas]

Funny, back when I was in college, I used to look forward to our two trips down to Lubbock each year for the Tech and A&M debate tournaments. For a city out in the middle of nowhere, it had some of the gayest nightlife anywhere. I think the guy calling himself "queers" is talking through his hat, those west Texas boys were a lot more fun than he's making them out to be...

[Joe Blough]

If you visit the stockyards with the kids,carry a gun because gays and lesbians are well known for molesting children

[Nicki 3050]

Tonto wrote:

Yet another DFW event turned into a spectacle instead of the family friendly event that it was intended to be. I guess we (us straight folks) will have have to start disrupting your events. Sometimes it is just nice to take the family out and have a good time among people. It does not always have to be an opportunity to promote your personal beliefs and lifestyle.

Amen! Now, we're affraid to take our kids for fear of riots and protestors! Put a whole bunch of conservative cowboys together and give them beer from lunch to 5, and you're going to have some problems. Also, I don't want my kids seeing anybody kissing on anybody, unless it's their mom and dad. Hopefully we will time it right and not be there during that hour.