At last, the LDS Church got what it thinks it desperately needs: a leg to stand on.

It turns out it wasn't that disgusting homo behavior (i.e., a kiss on the cheek) on Main Street Plaza that got the Temple Square goon squad out in full force to tackle gay couple Matthew Aune and City Weekly employee Derek Jones; it was the couple's alleged drunken behavior!

Carole Mikita, religion reporter for church-owned KSL 5, seems almost relieved in relaying the important break in the "trespassing" story. KSL got its hands on the police report, and the cop who issued the citation notes that Matthew Aune had alcohol on his breath and that his speech were slurred! So that explains everything. They were drunk; ergo, they were deserving of the take down. And of course it calls into question everything the couple has told us about the incident. I mean, how can you believe anything a drunk tells you? Case dismissed.

And just in case you think you can shame the church for its handling of the "trespassing" case--with a kissing and hand-holding protest or otherwise--think again. On its morning news program today, KSL Radio issued essentially the church's warning to future would-be protesters:

"The LDS Church is reminding visitors that Temple Square is private property. Spokesperson Kim Farah says Salt Lake City Police were called on Sunday when a few dozen people staged a protest. 'The people who came to the plaza were asked repeatedly to comply with our guidelines of not protesting on private property. They were asked very politely and respectfully to leave, and when they did not leave, Salt Lake Police were called.' Protesters staged a kiss-in over an incident last week when a gay couple was detained by church security after kissing in Main Street Plaza."

The Church-owned Deseret News couldn't bring itself to break the "trespassing" story on its Saturday front page like The Salt Lake Tribune did. It managed to run it, ever so reluctantly on B2. But I gotta say, D News, pat yourself on the back for today's coverage: The "Kiss In" protest made it on B1, albeit below the fold, beneath a story about appraising gold and the meeting planners convention, but B1, all the same.

But now, let's talk photography. Neither story in the Deseret News nor on KSL 5 TV showed gay couples kissing. It was oddly heterosexual couples or well-known straight people (Deeda Seed) doing the kissing. Come on, Mormon media! Report the freaking news.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com