by Mick Marten

Created on: August 07, 2008   Last Updated: August 08, 2008

Well, there are two sides to every story, they always say, and I believe it to be true; even if only one side gets press.

Recently at a Seattle Mariners game, a lesbian couple, who had been kissing to some extent, were asked to stop. Another patron, a woman with a young son had requested it. Upon being asked to stop kissing, one woman flatly refused. When told that they would have to either stop kissing or leave she became belligerent, making it much easier, I'm sure, for security personnel to do their jobs by escorting her out.

The Seattle Mariners staff called the ejected smoocher later and express their sadness that she and her date were unable to enjoy the game. Apparently the young woman took this as an apology (which it obviously was not meant to be) because she later expressed shock and outrage when the ball club's official statement to the press claimed that they had done nothing wrong, and had only enforced stadium rules. (The statement was apparently issued defensively; despite the apologetic tone of the phone call, the young woman summoned the media, and accused the organization of being anti-gay.)

And this story isn't even about a kiss. It's about the perception of gays in our society, and the different set of standard they are sometimes asked to live by. It is also about trying to raise a child in the way you see fit, while society at large attempts to foist the norms and standards upon them that they think the child should have, without consulting the parent.

It's a sad thing, too, because the other parties involved, the young woman's date, the security guard, and the mom who asked for the behavior to cease, weren't interviewed. Even the other patrons seated around both parties might have had valuable input; but we'll never know. Documenting a 'grievous wrong' sells papers, and documenting a minor disagreement, and its resolution, does not. This is what makes it so sad; we surrender a peaceful culture for want of titillating media.

So many times have I been forced into situations with which I was uncomfortable (especially with my children) due to the lack of consideration of others, that I came up with a rule about it: 'If you do it in public, you invite public critique.'

I have, in my day, had to ask people to stop cursing (in front of my kids), and have also had to ask for other behaviors to stop, as well as having seen other parents forced to do likewise. It is a hard thing to raise a child, and to control the introduction of certain ideas to them

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