![Something The Matter Thimble Theater 1921 Segar (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Something_The_Matter_Thimble_Theater_1921_Segar_%28cropped%29.jpg)
A kissing booth is an attraction, usually at a
carnival
Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...
, where the person running the booth
kisses other people, often to raise funds for charity. There are newspaper articles dating back to at least the early 1900s advertising upcoming kissing booths and their "osculatory favors". A 1918 article from
''The Garden Island'' newspaper states, "All the horors
icof war disappears for the man with a roll of bills at the Red Cross kissing booth -- that is 'till his wife sees him."
Notable examples
At a national convention of the
American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...
in Dallas in 1971,
LGBT equality
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , 33 ...
campaigner
Barbara Gittings
Barbara Gittings (July 31, 1932 – February 18, 2007) was a prominent American activist for LGBT equality. She organized the New York chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) from 1958 to 1963, edited the national DOB magazine ''The Ladd ...
staffed a kissing booth underneath the banner "Hug a Homosexual," with a "women only" side and a "men only" side. When no one took advantage of it, she and
Alma Routsong
Alma Routsong (November 26, 1924 – October 4, 1996) was an American novelist best known for her lesbian fiction, published under the pen name Isabel Miller.
Early life
Alma Routsong was born Elma Louise Routsong in Traverse City, Michigan, o ...
kissed in front of rolling television cameras. In describing its success, despite most of the reaction being negative, Gittings said, "We needed to get an audience. So we decided, let's show gay love live. We were offering free—mind you, free—same-sex kisses and hugs. Let me tell you, the aisles were mobbed, but no one came into the booth to get a free hug. So we hugged and kissed each other. It was shown twice on the evening news, once again in the morning. It put us on the map."
[Warner David. CityPaper.net. April 22–29, 1999; accessed November 4, 2007.]
American musician
Marnie Stern
Marnie Stern (born March 18, 1976) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and guitarist. She has garnered acclaim for her technical skill and tapping style of guitar play. Stern is also a current member of The 8G Band from the show ''Late Ni ...
ran a kissing booth at some of her concerts in 2008.
See also
*
Dunk tank
A dunk tank, also known as a dunking booth or dunking machine, is a common feature at Canadian and American fairs, fundraisers, and celebrations. It consists of a huge water tank with a volunteer sitting on a collapsible bench above. When the ...
*
List of amusement rides
Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people especially kids to create fun and enjoyment.
Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This ...
References
External links
A fundraiser in the buffat ''Tampa Bay Times''
Alberta's bear-kissing booth back in businessat CTV
at ''Salon''
Hilda, 96, raises cash as she sells kissesat ''Cambs Times''
Carnival games
Kissing
{{festival-stub