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A Final Word On The Great Nationwide Kiss-In

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2009 will surely be christened the year of gay rights. We’ve added four states to the same-sex marriage list, bringing the total to six, and the White House, rumor has it, will soon move to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and DOMA. There’s also still hope the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bill will make it to President Obama’s desk.

Sadly, 2009 will also be known as the year of anti-gay harassment and violence against gays.

Gay-bashings, and their severity, are on the rise. So is anti-gay rhetoric, and child-suicides related to anti-gay bullying. And, as we learned back in June and July, gays are being harassed, detained, and even arrested, after kissing in public.

In mid-July, I wrote a call-to-action, challenging gay rights groups, bloggers, and the media to find ways of keeping positive images of the LGBTQ community in the public eye during the month of August. Called, “Fill The Void,” it warned that the right would try to hijack the gay rights conversation in this country over the summer, since, with Congress and state legislatures out of session, there would be no opportunities for the media to focus on the gay rights debate.

Unfortunately, I was a bit off.

A late June, Gay Pride Day police harassment incident involving Texas local law enforcement officers incorrectly threatening a same-sex couple with arrest, simply for kissing was quickly followed by an even more egregious July 10 incident in Salt Lake City.

The Salt Lake incident went beyond the pale. On their way home from a concert, walking through Main Street Plaza, Mormon Church property that serves as a pedestrian thoroughfare, a gay couple was detained and subsequently arrested.  What initiated this obscenity? They were kissing.

True to form, and casting the first stone, despite what the Bible teaches, the Mormon Church, dissatisfied with the direction of growing public opinion against it after the same-sex kissing arrest, began a nasty smear campaign.

A full eight days after the arrest, the Church claimed the same-sex couple was drunk and violent:

“They engaged in passionate kissing, groping, profane and lewd language, and had obviously been using alcohol […and] they became belligerent.”

Fortunately, the Salt Lake City Prosecutor saw through the Church’s hypocrisy, and not only dropped all charges against the two men, but publicly chastised the Church for not marking the pedestrian mall as “private property.”

When I read about the Texas Gay Pride Day incident, in which, by the way, it was the same-sex couple and their friends who called police, I was upset. When I read about the Salt Lake City incident, I was angered. But after doing more research, I found other cases of harassment and arrest for kissing, and I was outraged.

So, on July 13 I called for a national kiss-in to protest these incidents. After writing, “It’s Time For A Nationwide Kiss-In!” I contacted a friend who happens to be the director and co-founder of Join The Impact, a dynamic (in their first week they amassed one million members) grassroots LGBTQ activist organization that was formed just after Prop 8 passed last November. Then, another friend, David Mailloux, a fellow writer who blogs at DYM SUM joined us, and the rest, as they say, is history.

In less than five weeks, The Great Nationwide Kiss-In became a movement. More than 4600 people joined us, and together, we held “Kiss-Ins” to affirm and celebrate everyone’s right to share acts of simple affection with their loved ones, in public.  In more than fifty cities across America, in major metropolitan areas like New York and Boston, and smaller towns like Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Athens, Georgia, people joined together. And we went international, holding an event in Canada, and one in Saipan, capitol of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

So, what was the point of all this? Simple, really.

Studies tell us that gay-rights opponents, or those sitting on the fence, are far more likely to alter their opinion in favor of gay rights once they get to know us. (As I like to say, to know us is to love us!) We wanted to educate the public, to help them see, literally, straight couples standing alongside gay couples, and all kissing their loved ones at exactly the same time, across the country. (Which, by the way, meant 4:00 AM in Saipan!) Personally, I can’t imagine a more powerful statement, or a more beautiful one.

It’s important to note that this was not a “gay event.” A great many of our organizers and participants were straight couples. Which was exactly the point. We showed that love knows no boundaries, no gender, makes no distinctions. Nor did we.

Did we make a difference? I can honestly say, “yes!” The public response and support was overwhelming. Stories from participants about the attitudes of passersby were almost wholly positive.

Importantly, we got people talking. We reminded people that there is more than one way to make a point. In the midst of this summer’s babbling “birther” and “death panel” stories in the media, against a backdrop of out-of-control screaming town halls and gun-toting attendees, we stood up and used a peaceful demonstration – not a protest, but a demonstration of love – to educate and combat hatred and homophobia.

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News

White House Spins Trump’s Arrest Demand as Simply Holding Dems ‘Accountable’

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November 20, 2025

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Amid tremendous uproar on the left over President Donald Trump calling for the arrest of six Democratic lawmakers for “seditious behavior,” and even promoting a call for them to be hanged, the White House is walking back what has been described as Trump’s “violent rhetoric,” by saying he wants them to be held accountable.

The Democrats, all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or Intelligence Community, recorded a video reminding members of the military and the IC of their legal responsibility to not obey illegal orders.

Trump called their remarks “seditious behavior at the highest level,” and said that they should be “arrested and put on trial.” He also called the six lawmakers “traitors,” and wrote: “Seditious behavior, punishable by death!”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, asked about his attack on the Democratic representatives and senators, defended the president while appearing to attempt to minimize what Democratic leaders called “violent rhetoric.”

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“To suggest and encourage that active duty service members defy the chain of command is a very dangerous thing for sitting members of Congress to do,” Leavitt claimed, “and they should be held accountable, and that’s what the president wants to see. ”

When asked if Trump was encouraging political violence, Leavitt replied, “Why aren’t you talking about what these members of Congress are doing to encourage and incite violence?”

“They are literally saying to 1.3 million active duty service members, to defy the chain of command,” she charged.

U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), a former CIA officer, responded to Trump’s remarks by saying that Trump had “threatened myself and a number of other service and veteran lawmakers with arrest, trial, and death — because he didn’t agree with a video we put out this week.”

“I refuse to believe that this is the new normal,” she stated. “I refuse to believe that we are going to use fear and intimidation against people we disagree with. And I’m not going to be forced away from speaking up on behalf of my country.”

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House Democratic leaders said they had contacted Capitol Police to help protect the six Democrats after the president’s remarks, which they denounced as “disgusting and dangerous death threats” and “violent and unhinged rhetoric.”

“I’ve never seen a president who has gone this low,” said Leader Schumer. “I’ve never seen a president or heard of a president who has done more to encourage political violence. I have asked the Capitol Police to give special protection and keep an eye on [Elissa] Slotkin and [Mark] Kelly as well because you gotta worry after the president says these things.”

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Democrats Warn Trump’s ‘Violent Rhetoric’ Could Get Someone Killed

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4 hours ago

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November 20, 2025

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House Democratic leaders warned on Thursday that President Donald Trump’s attacks on six congressional Democrats, including calling for their arrest for “seditious behavior” and promoting remarks calling for them to be hanged, could lead to getting “someone killed.”

The president in a lengthy series of posts and reposts on social media targeted the six House and Senate Democrats, all U.S. Armed Forces or Intelligence Community veterans, for appearing in a video in which they reminded members of the military and the IC of their legal responsibility not to obey illegal orders.

“No one has to carry out orders that violate the law, or our Constitution,” they said. “Know that we have your back.”

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Trump called their remarks “seditious behavior at the highest level,” and said that they should be “arrested and put on trial.”

He also called the six lawmakers “traitors,” and wrote: “Seditious behavior, punishable by death!”

In a statement, House Democratic leaders including Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar praised their Democratic colleagues as having “served our country with tremendous patriotism and distinction.”

They condemned the president’s “disgusting and dangerous death threats against Members of Congress” and urged House Republicans to join them.

“Donald Trump incited a violent attack on the Capitol on January 6th as part of a treacherous attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,” they added. “The President’s violent and unhinged rhetoric against American patriots is consistent with his well-documented history of attacking prisoners of war, Gold Star families and war heroes.”

READ MORE: ‘Sundown’: Trump Shows ‘Shocking’ Noticeable Mental Decline Journalist Says

They also announced that they “have been in contact with the House Sergeant at Arms and the United States Capitol Police to ensure the safety of these Members and their families.”

The leadership called on Trump to “immediately delete these unhinged social media posts and recant his violent rhetoric before he gets someone killed.”

Separately, on social media, Leader Jeffries wrote: “Donald Trump should keep his reckless mouth shut.”

Critics responded to the leadership’s message.

“Treat him like an unhinged menace,” wrote The New Republic’s Greg Sargent, referring to Trump. “He’s in deep political trouble. Don’t let up.”

READ MORE: Economist Sounds Stagflation Alarm as Food Costs Rise Under Trump

 

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‘Spiraling Gets Worse’: Trump Blasted for Urging Arrest of Dems for ‘Seditious Behavior’

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6 hours ago

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November 20, 2025

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President Donald Trump is calling for the arrest of six Democratic military and Intelligence Community veterans now serving in Congress, alleging “seditious behavior” for appearing in a video telling members of the U.S. Armed Forces and IC that they have the right to refuse to obey illegal orders from the Commander in Chief.

“No one has to carry out orders that violate the law, or our Constitution,” the six lawmakers said. “Know that we have your back.”

“In a video posted on X Tuesday,” CNN reported, “Democratic lawmakers Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Sen. Mark Kelly, Rep. Jason Crow, Rep. Maggie Goodlander, Rep. Chris Deluzio and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan said the ‘threats to our Constitution’ are coming ‘from right here at home,’ and repeatedly urged the military and intelligence community to ‘refuse illegal orders.'”

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President Trump lashed out at the Democrats in a post on his Truth Social website on Thursday.

“It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL,” he charged. “Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand – We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET. ”

The president did not stop there.

“This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” he wrote in a separate post.

“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” he continued.

Trump went on to repost “truths” from other social media users.

One read: “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”

READ MORE: ‘Sundown’: Trump Shows ‘Shocking’ Noticeable Mental Decline Journalist Says

Others Trump reposted read: “sedition,” “Indict all of them,” “Traitors,” and “Domestic terrorist Democrats always causing chaos and destruction destroying people’s lives.”

Critics expressed concern.

MS NOW executive producer Kyle Griffin wrote: “Trump is now seeming to endorse execution for his perceived enemies — retweeting a post that called for the hanging of Democrats who told servicemembers to refuse illegal orders.”

Melanie D’Arrigo, executive director of the Campaign for New York Health, warned: “This is fascism — and pretending it’s not only empowers him to do worse.”

Fred Wellman, a 22-year Army veteran and Democratic candidate for Congress wrote: “It is the duty of our service members to disobey illegal orders. The leadership that fired all of the Judge Advocates General the first day Hegseth took charge knows that. The only reason you fire the lawyers is to cover your illegal acts.”

U.S. Army veteran and activist Skyleigh Uhrich commented: “Trump screaming sedition because democratic Veterans made a message that the military can disobey … unlawful orders. Conveying the Uniform Code of Military Justice is NOT sedition. January 6th was sedition and Trump pardoned them all.”

U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) remarked: “Spiraling gets worse — the guy has totally lost it as Epstein’s looms. 25th?”

READ MORE: Economist Sounds Stagflation Alarm as Food Costs Rise Under Trump

 

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