LGBT Couples Participate In Great Facebook Kiss-In For Michael Sam

When the NFL drafted openly gay football player Michael Sam last Saturday, the athlete kissed his boyfriend on live television and apparently ruffled conservative feathers across the nation.

With a number of Americans publicly expressing their discomfort over the same-sex kiss on national television, an important question was raised: do Americans, even those in favor of gay rights, actually know what it looks like for a same-sex couple to be affectionate with one another?

In response, HuffPost Gay Voices Editor-At-Large Michelangelo Signorile ignited a call to action that he dubbed the Great Facebook Kiss-In, asking people to change their Facebook profile pictures to images of same-sex couples kissing. In a blog published yesterday, Signorile explained why he thinks this demonstration of solidarity with Sam through social media is so important:

People just aren't used to seeing two men or two women kissing, even with all the news coverage of gay marriage. Judging by some of the reactions to the Sam/Cammisano kiss, I'm not sure what they think gay men in relationships do. Play checkers? (Well, maybe sometimes.)... So with that, I hereby launch the Great Facebook Kiss-In, urging everyone -- whether gay, straight or bi -- to change their profile pics to two women kissing or two men kissing.

The response was immediate, with an overwhelming number of people -- from politicians to activists to school teachers to dentists -- wanting to show their support for Sam and the visibility of affection between same-sex couples. Some shared photos of kisses with their partners, some shared famous same-sex smooches (Madonna and Britney seemed to be a favorite) but no matter the choice, the message was clear: we're here, we're queer and just like non-queer people (whose affection is broadcast on billboards, television shows and in magazines every day), we kiss, too.

Check out some of the photos from the Great Facebook Kiss-In below.

#KissIn pic.twitter.com/yxGrfczxbK

— Ron Fife (@FifeRonfife) May 14, 2014

Thanks @MichaelSamNFL #KissIn pic.twitter.com/PdxjUgxRGI

— Swirl Radio (@SwirlRadio) May 15, 2014