Sometimes a kiss isn’t just a kiss. On Saturday, people across the country are expected to participate in the Great Nationwide Kiss-In, an event aiming to assert the freedom to kiss in public regardless of gender and sexual orientation.
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Chicago is among the 49 cities where simultaneous kiss-ins have been organized. Chicagoans have been urged to gather at 1 p.m. at Cloudgate, a.k.a. The Bean, in Millennium Park for a rally and smooch session.
As of Thursday afternoon, there were 142 guests who pledged to attend on the Facebook page for the Chicago event.
The nationwide kiss-in, which is being coordinated by gay rights group Join the Impact, was conceived after several incidents in Texas and Utah in which gay couples said they were arrested or harassed for kissing in public.
In Chicago, “we know that we live in a very liberal place,” said Nik Maciejewski, 22, an organizer with the Chicago chapter of Join the Impact. The group also hopes to use the event to encourage people to attend the National Equality March planned for October in Washington.