On Thursday July 9th, a Gay couple used the Plaza
between the Mormon Salt Lake Temple and the former
Utah Hotel - now the Joseph Smith building - while walking home from a concert. While on the Plaza they engaged in some
romantic interlude of kissing and hugging. They were ordered to cease such
conduct by LDS security guards and arrested when they would not leave the site.
This caused a "Kiss-In" the following Sunday organized by a
member of the city council when some 60 couples appeared and this next Sunday another
"kiss-in" is scheduled.
Having had my own confrontation by arrogant Mormon security
guards in 1976 and 1978 I can well imagine the feelings of resentment for this
arrogant conduct by the Gay couple.
The history of the Plaza is a history of church arrogance. The Plaza, while beautifully designed and built, is another reminder of arrogance in belief of the provable falsity of the entire Mormon dogma.
First, of course, is the arrogance of the false sanctity of temple marriage itself where couples are married for time and eternity to fulfill an arrogant notion that by doing so those heterosexual couples can become gods and goddesses in the great hereafter called the "Celestial Kingdom". Gays and Lesbians can't be "married" for they violate the procreation notion, hence the Homophobia of Mormon arrogance.
Loving conduct by Gay or Lesbian couples on the Plaza violates the arrogance of the temple marriage concept and since Mormons believe that the temple contains the actual presence of God, He would be offended by any Gay or Lesbian displays of love within "His" arena...
The Plaza is built on Main Street - on what used to be publicly owned Main Street.
To connect the temple square with the property owned to the east including the World Headquarter's Tower and the older
Grecian marble Palace of the First Presidency, the church sought acquisition of
the public street.
A lot of history was built on that effort with resistance by many citizens of Salt Lake City. However, since The pervasive power In Utah and Salt Lake City is the Mormon Church, all kinds of shenanigans were pulled to first acquire the street with a right of way for pedestrians and then a swap of other property with the city to eliminate the right of way. While the right of persons to cross from South Temple to North Temple streets was implied, the actual use would be conditioned upon conduct conforming to the arrogant notions of Mormon supremacy.
A little more history: When Brigham Young and his numerous wives and converts descended into the Salt Lake Valley through Emigration Canyon on July 24th 1847, the region had been conquered by the U.S, Army after invading Mexico. Peace with Mexico was secured by Mexico ceding an area to become the Western United States, equaling ten states. The Utah territory which Brigham thought belonged to Mexico at the time he led his duped followers west became a real problem for him.
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