Same-sex kisses
banned at New Zealand sports venue

Apparently same-sex kisses, gay or straight, are just too much for cricket fans in New Zealand. That's the conclusion of the owners of a stadium, who say such displays of affection are not appropriate at their venue.

The ruling stemmed from an incident in which two straight women were threatened with eviction after they exchanged a friendly peck that was caught on camera and played on the big screen to a cheering crowd. According to a report in the Dominion Post, a security guard at the one-day cricket international in Napier on Sunday told the women they were distracting the crowd and would be thrown out if they did it again. The women thought their action was "just a bit of fun," but according to a Westpac Trust Stadium spokesman, two women kissing "is not appropriate" at a family venue.

Labour cabinet minister Chris Carter, who is gay, said he was concerned by the incident. "It seems to me that this is a human rights issue. If there's no kissing allowed at all, then fair enough. But if opposite-sex couples can kiss, then...same-sex couples should be allowed to as well," he told the Post. "It seems to me, as an ordinary gay person, that this is very surprising and unfair."

The Central Districts Cricket Association has apologized to the women for the guard's behavior, despite defending the policy held by the stadium. The security company involved also defended the actions of the guard who cautioned the women, saying that what the women did "was inflammatory." (Advocate.com)