Puckering up in Protest
Posted Apr 10, 2010 07:16:09 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Activists are planning a rally against hate today in Waterloo. The idea stems from a controversial kiss in a popular cafe last week. Two lesbians were asked by the owner of Cafe 1842 (at the Huether) to leave the restaurant after they exchanged a kiss. The owner says the public display of affection was inappropriate in a family setting and adds she would have asked anyone — including a heterosexual couple — to leave. The couple believes they were discriminated against based on sexual orientation and insist the kiss was nothing more than a “peck.”
The controversy led to the creation of a Facebook group called “Taking Action Against Homophobia in Waterloo Region” — a group that is now more than three thousand members strong. Group creator Terre Chartrand is also the driving force behind today’s rally but she insists it’s about more than homophobia. Chartrand tells 570 News the event gets underway with a dance party at Waterloo’s public square at 2 PM. That will be followed by speeches and then a “kiss-in” extending up King from the public square to the corner of King and Princess, site of the Huether.
Chartrand calls this a “coalition against hate” that is open to anyone who has been discriminated against or who wants to demonstrate against discrimination. Chartrand says the kiss-in is not just for gay couples but is instead meant as a way of letting people show that they will not accept discrimination in our community. While Chartrand won’t speak directly to the controversial kiss, she does admit to a sense of homophobia in our region. She talks about catcalls, verbal abuse and even physical violence directed at gay people she knows personally.
Chartrand expects a peaceful event today although regional police have been contacted for support. She says if the owners of the cafe want to extend an olive branch with regards to last week’s incident, the region’s gay community would be interested in mending fences.
