A Seattle Mariners usher reportedly told two women at Safeco Field to stop kissing during a May 26 game because it was making other fans uncomfortable. Sirbrina Guerrero is quoted in a May 31 Seattle Post-Intelligencer column by Robert Jamieson saying the usher told her and her date to stop kissing because "a woman complained that she and her child saw you two." Guerrero also stated that the usher added, "There's children in the crowd. It's not fair for parents to have to explain to their kids why two women are kissing."
Since the incident was first reported, much debate has occurred about what actually happened. Later reports allege the couple was not simply kissing, but were violating Safeco's policy for fans at the ballpark, because the public displays of affection included "making out and groping." The Mariners' code of conduct officially prohibits "unacceptable behavior" including abusive language, obscene gestures, drunkenness and "displays of affection not appropriate in a public, family setting."
The story has been picked up by local and national news organizations and online blogs (The Stranger, CNN, FOX News, MSNBC). Much of the reporting of the confrontation has focused on identifying the specific behavior of the two women and the conversation between the couple and the Safeco Field usher. KUOW's radio program "The Conversation" (6/6/08) attempted to move the dialogue away from the specific incident to a more generalized discussion about appropriate public displays of affection. Very little of the news coverage has addressed the daily fear many gay and lesbian couples have about showing affection in public because of potentially negative consequences.
The Seattle P-I later reported ("The Big Blog," 6/5/08) that the Mariners interviewed the usher, Guerrero and others involved at the game and concluded that their staff resolved the issue appropriately and did not discriminate based on the couple's sexual orientation. Regardless of the outcome of this particular incident, it is an excellent opportunity to continue our work to make Seattle a welcoming city for all individuals, couples and families.
Here is what you can do:
Sign our petition telling the Mariners to host a Gay Pride Event at Safeco Field: http://petitiononline.com/Mariners/petition.html
Seattle NOW will be collecting signatures through August and present the petition to the Mariners this fall.