Public displays of affection may be cute, but when does kissing among a crowd go too far? If you’re a lesbian at a Mariners baseball game in Seattle, charges one woman, the behavior may be stopped well before you get to first base.
Sirbrina Guerrero and her date attended a home game versus the Boston Red Sox on May 26 at Safeco Field, where they allege that during the third inning, an usher approached and told them their kissing was inappropriate because it was making another fan uncomfortable. A nearby woman had complained that parents in the crowd of 36,000 would have to explain the girl-on-girl lip action to their children.
Guerrero, a former contestant on the MTV reality show, A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila, contends that the kisses were innocent exchanges shared while the couple ate garlic fries. She is startled that anyone in Seattle, a city known for being gay friendly, would find the behavior over-the-top or offensive.
However, in response to the charges, the Mariners said that their seating staff had acted appropriately because Guerrero and her date were groping each other, and that the excessive physical contact, and not their sexual orientation, is the reason why they were asked to tone down their kisses.
The Mariners cited their nondiscrimination policy, and referred to a code of conduct announced before each home game that advises against public displays of affection that would be inappropriate for a family setting.
Furthermore, alleges the team, Guerrero and her date refused to soften their behavior after they were approached, and they began to swear that they were being targeted for their sexual orientation.
Sex advice columnist Dan Savage, writing on the blog of the alternative weekly The Stranger, called for a kiss-in to protest against the Mariners.
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