ROSEVILLE, CA - There wasn't much kissing at a protest called a "Kiss-In", but there was still plenty of love and support displayed by both homosexual and heterosexual individuals at the Galleria Mall.
"I'm not gay myself but that doesn't matter," Gay Rights supporter Claudia Monet Diesh said. "I'm here to support, because it's love."
The event was quickly organized on social media after a young gay couple said they were asked to leave the mall on Monday for holding hands and kissing in public. The mall's management said the couple was never asked to leave, but were talked to by security after they displayed overly sexual affections. Not everyone here believes the mall's statement.
"If they were being appropriate, then I don't understand why they were escorted out of the building," protestor Kayatta Patton said. "It took them a long time to come out and apologize."
Another homosexual couple said they've dealt with their own challenges living in Roseville, but don't believe the mall's management is to blame for Monday's incident.
"We have a 14 year-old in school who has been bullied because he has gay dads," Gay Father Nathan Grisham said. "So, I'm not surprised that this happened. In this situation, I don't believe it was the mall management, but probably one guard who took it upon himself to assert more authority."
"I think the temperature of the community is that anything is too much," Gay Father Christian Williams said. "People don't want their children to see people like us being affectionate in any way."
But that isn't the case for a straight couple who brought their child to play near the protest.
"Oh, I'm totally cool it with it, equal rights for everyone." Parent Maciej Nejmantowicz said. "I think exposing children to various things whether it's a person's sexual preference or not is fine."
News10/KXTV