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| - In July, 2009, a homosexual couple were cited in Salt Lake City for exhibiting lewd behavior on the Church-owned plaza in front of the Salt Lake Mormon Temple. Rumors colored the act in a favorable light, saying that the couple was engaged in light kissing, when in fact, the situation was more serious, leading to their banishment from the property. The homosexual community responded with "kiss-ins" near the Salt Lake Temple, with another scheduled for the San Diego Temple. Following is the official response of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the original incident:
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| abstract
| - In July, 2009, a homosexual couple were cited in Salt Lake City for exhibiting lewd behavior on the Church-owned plaza in front of the Salt Lake Mormon Temple. Rumors colored the act in a favorable light, saying that the couple was engaged in light kissing, when in fact, the situation was more serious, leading to their banishment from the property. The homosexual community responded with "kiss-ins" near the Salt Lake Temple, with another scheduled for the San Diego Temple. Following is the official response of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the original incident: SALT LAKE CITY 17 July 2009 "There has been a good deal of publicity surrounding an incident where two men were cited for trespassing because of belligerent and profane behavior on the Church Plaza, which is an extension of the Salt Lake City Temple grounds and Church headquarters. While this property is owned by the Church, we want it to be a place of beauty and serenity in downtown Salt Lake City for everyone. "As we said earlier on this matter, these men were asked to stop engaging in behavior deemed inappropriate for any couple on the Plaza. There was much more involved than a simple kiss on the cheek. They engaged in passionate kissing, groping, profane and lewd language, and had obviously been using alcohol. They were politely told that the Plaza was not the place for such behavior and asked to stop. When they became belligerent, the two individuals were asked to leave Church property. Church security detained them and Salt Lake City police were called. "There is nothing satisfying in learning that there have been problems for anyone on Church property. We hope the Plaza will continue to be an asset to the community and enjoyed by the many that cross it each day." In the past, anti-Mormon demonstrations in front of temples after the success of Proposition 8 in California have not led to violence, but have led to defacement of property and the posting of hate signs. The names of Mormons who donated money to the cause of Proposition 8 were made public, and the backlash cost some Mormons their jobs and led to threats against them. The Mormon Church donated a relatively small amount of cash to the campaign, and Mormon voters represented only a fraction of those who supported Prop 8, but members of the Church were activists for the support of traditional marriage, and the Church has been singled out by the gay community at large for retribution.
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