Hug, Kiss, Grope -- But Only If You're Straight

From my experience in high school and college whether I was walking from one end of the hall to the other, or simply getting out air outside I never failed to be surrounded by kissing couples. I remember there was one particular couple in my high school that was always attached at the lips. You could set your clock by it. Everyday, right after lunch ended they’d be wrapped up in each other’s arms, their lips glued together with a hot glue gun.  

I can’t recall lovesick couples being reprimanded for their public displays of affection. So, when one Orange County high school student was disciplined for showing a public display of affection with her girlfriend at the time popped up on the newswire I started to wonder whether or not same sex kissing was still a hot button topic even though for the most part people seem a little more accepting of whole idea of same sex couples.  

However, same sex kissing and any sort of homosexual public displays of affection seem to issues still tiptoed around by the majority of society.  

Take the Super Bowl commercial earlier this year, which showed two male auto mechanics kissing. The commercial caused enough outcry for the company to pull the ad all together. The weird thing that is the only thing I remember about the Super Bowl – I don’t even remember the two teams who played, but I do remember that really cool kissing commercial.  

Same sex kissing hasn’t had much good PR overseas. Last year, the popular Broadway production The Boy From Oz starring Hugh Jackman removed the same sex kiss between Jackman’s character and male character Greg Connell played by Murray Bartlett.  

Even the American sitcom writers who opened the door for a lot of the first same sex kisses on cable TV get squeamish when it comes to shooting the final product. I guess acceptance, like patience, is a virtue.