Valentine's Day Update: Gay 'Kiss-in' Drive At Piccadilly Circus

It was not just a kiss-and-make-up kind of drive. Many couples, some of whom were complete strangers, got together to kiss before the statue of Eros to protest during the start of Pride's 'Freedom to Kiss' campaign, according to pinknews.co.uk.

It happened after Pride in London found that 54% of the same-sex couples are not too comfortable while kissing in public, even as there are homophobic attacks on kissing couples.

About 86% of the nay-sayers said that the main cause of their reluctance to kiss was fear of being orally or physically abused. As one of them, Bronac McNeill, said: "We all now enjoy more legal equality than ever before, but we are seeing an increasing number of same-sex couples being subjected to homophobic behaviour and discrimination for expressing affection to their partners in public.

"Now, more than ever before, we need more LGBT+ heroes, including our straight allies, to stand beside us and show why the right to kiss our partners in public - whatever their gender - is a freedom we should all enjoy."

#FreedomTo kiss selfies were put up on Piccadilly Circus billboards, according to pridelondon.org. It was in response to new research conducted by Pride in London, which revealed that over half of same sex couples do not feel totally comfortable kissing in public.

More than a 1000 people in the survey were asked whether they would feel safe or comfortable while kissing an LGBT partner in public. More than half (54%) denied it, and while 46% agreed, just one-third of that group said they had never had problems in the past.

Comedians Russell Brand and David Walliams were supporters too, and said: "Who says our love is wrong...?"

Michael Salter, Chairman of Pride in London pointed out that in the previous year, they had seen a "record breaking" Pride in London as hundreds of thousands of people gathered to celebrate the city's diversity and called for equality.

"This year, we are calling for participants in the Pride Parade to celebrate the heroes in their lives who have encouraged them to be themselves and have championed for the LGBT rights and the freedoms that we enjoy today and others that still need to be fought for like the freedom to show affection in public in the same way as anybody else."