Earlier in the week, a young couple were threatened with eviction from a Sainsburys store by a security guard after a man complained that their brief public display of affection was disgusting – asking for them to be kicked out.
The news came as quite a shock to Brighton residents, as it is one of the most diverse and gay-friendly cities in the UK.
To protest the treatment of these two women, couples of all genders and sexual orientations gathered into the supermarket on Wednesday to engage in a mass kiss-in, locking lips for all the store to see.
Among the protestors was Brighton resident Fiona Spechtor, who told The Guardian that this incident “has made me realise how I can take it for granted that I can hold my girlfriend’s hand in public. I’ve lived in Brighton for a long time and it’s normal here, so when something like this happens, it’s really shocking.”
Sainsburys has issued a statement saying they are apologetic for this incident and that the security guard who threatened to evict the pair was not employed under them, rather from a third party.
Welcoming the protestors to their store, Sainsburys stated: “we’re please everyone had fun and we were happy for the chance to remind everyone just how important being an inclusive business and employer is to us.”
