Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook

Uproar After NC State Agent 'Fixes' Girl's Lunch Preschooler has to eat chicken nuggets instead of mom's meal »

Mexicans Kiss Off Smooching Ban

Town's effort to ban kissing sparks passionate national protests

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 14, 2009 5:27 AM CST

(Newser) – Outraged Mexicans joined forces—and lips—to kiss away a city's efforts to ban public smooching, the Los Angeles Times reports. Guanajuato's law drew national ridicule and protesters soon started kissing en masse in front of city hall. Newspaper columnists and politicians lined up to defend the kiss as a treasured national institution.

The city council, which said it had been trying to stamp out Olympian feats of fondling rather than plain old kissing, repealed the law within days and declared Guanajuato the "Capital of the Kiss" but it did little to cool the passionate national protests. Officials in Mexico City are hoping a Valentine's Day kiss-a-thon in the city's main plaza will make it into the record books.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

Bartenders in Guanajito are working on a recipe for a margarita-type drink that would be called "the beso," Spanish for kiss. (Shutterstock)

Mexico City is hoping to get into the record books with a kiss-a-thon today. (©Macnolete)

A national outcry caused the Mexican town of Guanajuato to ditch a ban on public kissing. (©Daquella manera)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

The attitude toward kissing is a good thermometer of the tolerance of a society.
- Reforma columnist Federico Heroles

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Male Couple Kisses for 50 Hours

Thai couple breaks world record for longest kiss

(NEWSER) - A male couple in Thailand spent more than two days kissing to break the Guinness World Record for longest kiss. The competition began Sunday in Pattaya, and ended, fittingly enough, today on Valentine's Day. Couples had to stay in a space measuring one square meter, could only take water and food through a straw, and had to be accompanied by a referee on bathroom breaks, the Telegraph reports. The winners, who kissed for 50 hours, took home a diamond ring worth more than $3,200 for their troubles, plus a hotel gift voucher worth twice that. This isn't the first time a male couple has broken a kissing record … More»

3 Dead in 6.5 Mexico Quake

No major damage reported

(AP) - A magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck in Mexico's western Guerrero state last night, shaking buildings and causing panic in the nation's capital and the Pacific resort of Acapulco. Officials say at least three people died, but there were no reports of widespread damage. One man was killed when a house's roof collapsed in Iguala, a second died in the small town of Ixcateopan, and the driver of a cargo truck was killed by rocks that fell on the vehicle driving on the toll highway linking Acapulco with Mexico City. More»

Drug Cartels Kill 41 in Mexico in 24 Hours

Police say Zetas responsible for three major incidents around Mexico

(NEWSER) - It's been an extra-bloody 24 hours in Mexico this weekend, with more than 40 people killed in three cities in Zeta drug-cartel-related violence on Friday night and yesterday, reports the AP . At least 20 were killed in a bar in Monterrey late Friday when at least two gunmen launched an attack with AK-47s and AR-15s. Eleven more were killed just outside of Mexico City, which has largely been spared in the bloodbath that has dominated the nation, shot with high-powered rifles then piled close to a well. Ten more bodies were discovered around the northern city of Torreon. More»

Mexico City Volcano Spews Ash Cloud

Popocatepetl isn't in danger of erupting, however

(AP) - The Popocatepetl volcano that towers over Mexico City began rumbling again today, shooting a blast of ash about 2 miles above its crater at dawn. The 17,886-foot mountain, nicknamed "Popo," shook for several minutes before the ash burst out. People were urged to stay at least 7 miles from the crater, which is about 40 miles southeast of Mexico's capital. The volcano is thought to be stable, but this is the biggest such cloud in several years. More»

Gaga Smacks Ariz. Crackdown

Singer is no fan of immigration law, will join 'American Idol'

(NEWSER) - Gay rights champion Lady Gaga is now taking on illegal immigration and Arizona's controversial crackdown in particular: The singer, in Mexico City for two shows, smacked the law yesterday, saying, "I don't stand by many of those unjust immigration laws in my country." She said she wrote "Americano" as a response, reports the AP. Gaga next heads to American Idol, reports the New York Post, where she'll mentor the remaining four contestants on Wednesday's show. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Mexicans Kiss Off Smooching Ban