Should you happen to be over at NorthPark or the Galleria around, say, 11:38 a.m. this Saturday (and some rarely aren’t!), you may want to stop by LUSH Cosmetics. According to a press release, that’s when LUSH employees, customers and supporters will be staging a “Kiss and Tell” in support of marriage equality:

“The ‘Kiss and Tell’ will be taking place at LUSH stores across North America at exactly 11:38 a.m. to signify the number of protections, responsibilities and rights that are currently denied to same-sex couples and their families under the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),” the press release states. “LUSH, in partnership with Freedom to Marry, is calling on the U.S. federal government to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which would allow same-sex couples and their families access to the 1,138 civil rights that come with federal marriage recognition and ultimately their right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

The release goes on to say that for two weeks starting this past Monday, LUSH stores are serving as “campaign centers” where people can get information about the rights denied to same-sex couples and sign petitions calling on the federal government to overturn the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. And you can even purchase a limited edition Freedom Foamer Bubble Bar ($5.95), with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Freedom to Marry’s campaign to end marriage discrimination. Which, by the way, is more than the 10 percent that went to the It Gets Better Project from the Old Navy gay Pride T-shirt you’ll undoubtedly be wearing when you lock lips with that stranger at LUSH.

Full press release below …

Gay and straight couples join nationwide kissing protest at LUSH Cosmetics

New York – LUSH staff, customers and supporters will be puckering up for a purpose this weekend as part of a nationwide ‘Kiss and Tell’ protest. LUSH has invited the public and their pouts down to LUSH stores to kiss in support of marriage for same-sex couples and to sign postcards telling the federal government to end the ongoing discrimination against tens of thousands of couples and families across America. The ‘Kiss and Tell’ will be taking place at LUSH stores across North America at exactly 11:38 a.m. to signify the number of protections, responsibilities and rights that are currently denied to same-sex couples and their families under the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). LUSH, in partnership with Freedom to Marry, is calling on the U.S. federal government to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which would allow same-sex couples and their families access to the 1,138 civil rights that come with federal marriage recognition and ultimately their right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
What: Local couples will be kissing at 11:38 a.m. in support of marriage for same-sex couples and will be signing postcards telling the federal government to end the ongoing discrimination against thousands of couples and families across America.

When: Saturday, June 18th, 11:38 a.m.

Where: Inside LUSH Cosmetics, NorthPark Center and Dallas Galleria

For two weeks starting on June 13th, LUSH is turning its shops across North America into ‘campaign centers’ where people can drop in to learn about the 1,138 rights denied to same-sex couples and sign a postcard petition asking the federal government to take action and overturn DOMA. To further efforts, LUSH has created a new limited edition Freedom Foamer Bubble Bar ($5.95) with 100% of the proceeds going to Freedom to Marry’s campaign to end marriage discrimination. This uplifting vegan bubble bar is scented with fresh lime and grapefruit and will be available at www.lushusa.com and at LUSH stores across North America for the duration of the campaign.

Why does marriage matter to a soap company? LUSH believes that all of its employees, customers and communities are valued and should be protected equally. LUSH wants to end the ongoing discrimination against thousands of couples and families across America. This means everyone – gay and non-gay – having the freedom to marry, with the same responsibilities, dignity, security and expression of love and equality.

Exclusion from the freedom to marry unfairly punishes committed same-sex couples and their families by depriving them of critical support, security, and obligations in virtually every area of life, including death and taxes. Under DOMA, same-sex couples are excluded from 1,138 rights tied to marriage because the federal government does not recognize their marriages. The denial of marriage is one of the harshest inequalities inflicted on lesbian and gay Americans and their families, and it’s a discrimination enacted by our own government.

“Tens of thousands of loving, committed same-sex couples across the country are doing the hard work of marriage every day, sharing the ups and downs of life, but because of federal marriage discrimination, they and their families are denied basic respect for their commitment and deprived of fair treatment in taxes, immigration, access to health care, and Social Security,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry, the campaign to win marriage nationwide. “For same-sex couples to fully share in the freedom to marry, we must pass the Respect for Marriage Act, overturn the ‘Defense of Marriage Act,’ and return the federal government to its longstanding practice of honoring lawful marriages without a ‘gay exception.’”

“We believe that that everyone should have the freedom to marry the person they love,” says LUSH Campaigns Manager Brandi Halls. “Many of our staff, customers, friends and family are not given the same rights as everyone else and we felt, for the sake of our friends, we had to challenge this injustice.”

For more information on the campaign please visit: www.lush.com/freedomtomarry

Notes to the editor:

• There are an estimated 3.1 million people living together in same-sex relationships in the United States.*

• Same-gender couples live in 99.3% of all US counties.+

• Between 1 million and 9 million children are being raised by lesbian, gay and bisexual parents in the United States today.*

• Across America, 34.3% of lesbian couples are raising children, and 22.3% of gay male couples are raising children (compared with 45.6% of married heterosexual and 43.1% of unmarried heterosexual couples raising children).+

• Nearly one in four same-sex couples include a partner 55 years old or older, and nearly one in five same-sex couples are composed of two people 55 or older.*

• Freedom to Marry is leading the campaign to overturn DOMA and is working across America to win marriage in more states and educate the public about why marriage matters to same-sex couples and their families. They partner with individuals and organizations across the country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the protections, responsibilities, and commitment that marriage brings. Visit www.freedomtomarry.org for more information.

• Established 16 years ago, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics has been driven by innovation and its ethics. Creators of pioneering beauty products such as the fizzing bath bombs and solid shampoo bars, LUSH emphasizes fresh ingredients like organic fruits and vegetables and the finest essential oils. LUSH operates a strict policy against animal testing, supports Fair Trade and Community Trade initiatives, and leads the cosmetics industry in combating over-packaging by developing products that can be sold ‘naked’ to the consumer. LUSH products are 100 percent vegetarian, 81 percent vegan, 69 percent preservative-free and 44 percent free of wasteful packaging. LUSH has 140 locations in North America with over 700 worldwide in over 42 countries. Visit www.lushusa.com for more information.