Protestors 'pucker-up' after same-sex couple removed from supermarket
Almost 200 people have turned up at a UK supermarket for a mass ‘kiss-in’ in support of a same-sex couple who were pulled aside for acting ‘inappropriately’ by holding hands.
A security guard called Thomas Rees, 32, and Joshua Bradwell, 25, outside the London store and told them a customer had complained about their behaviour.
Mr Rees posted to social media about the incident and subsequently told the Independent he could not understand how his love for another human being upset someone else so much, “but it did”.
To the bigot who complained about my bf & I holdin hands & the security guard at @sainsburys who felt the need to 'talk' to us outside🖕🏻
— Thomas Rees (@doganddinosaur) August 8, 2016
“We were going to make a roast chicken, get some potatoes - we were probably in there for four minutes, holding hands, nothing more than that," he said.
Sainsbury’s apologised to the couple and sent them a voucher for £10 ($16.89) but the story went viral and was picked up by a journalist, Michael Segalov.
The 'Big Gay Kiss In' at Sainsbury's 💋 So many people turned up! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/maKzLjNWou
— Tom Knight (@TJ_Knight) August 13, 2016
He organised the event ‘The Big Gay Kiss In” for Saturday night to send a message to “anyone who thinks it's “inappropriate” to show affection to a person, regardless of their gender or sexuality”.
“Hold hands, pucker up, and tell Sainsbury's enough is enough," he said.
That’s exactly what the protestors did, filling the aisles of the Hackney store with kissing couples and crowds cheering them on.
