After days of recent controversy, the only major problem at Z104's Valentine's Day Kiss Off Saturday was keeping contestants warm in the snow.

The kissing contest changed locations to outside the Z104 studios after West Towne Mall, its original venue, restricted same-sex couples from participating in the contest.

"I feel like it was a success," said Amanda Evenstone, finance coordinator for the University of Wisconsin Campus Women's Center. "Z104 did what they had to do."

The actual contest ended three days of criticism from members of the Madison community after the radio station revealed the controversial rule that would have barred same-sex couples.

Though a heterosexual couple won the grand prize, Evenstone said three same-sex couples participated in the contest. Evenstone did not participate in the contest, but said she drove by the competition in the early evening hours.

Participants kissed in the February snowfall for nearly nine hours, according to Evenstone.

"It was snowing, so there was not a really big crowd of people," she added. "With such short notice, [Z104] had to do what they had to do, but they had a good contest."

But next year, Evenstone said she would like to see the contest in a warmer venue, possibly indoors.

Madison gay-rights advocate Charlie Squires was also pleased with the overall change in the contest rules but disappointed with West Towne Mall's decision.

"The fact that they were [forced] to change venue and the pressure to change venues was unfortunate," he said. "What it boils down to is that West Towne put [the station] in a situation where they had to discriminate or move the venue."

Squires became involved with the discriminatory issue after he heard about the rule, which originally said couples "must be of the opposite sex."

"When I heard this, I didn't believe it," he said. "In Wisconsin, when it comes to public accommodations like this, you really can't discriminate. Discriminations are flat-out wrong."

In a community where hate crimes and gender-identity issues have also been a hot-button news topic, Squires said Madison's environment may need changing.

"The fact that these things are coming at the forefront of the news with little or no regret says that there's a problem," he said. "Madison has become too comfortable with thinking we're open when we're really not."

However, in this situation, the end result did bring satisfaction to those involved.

"People should be active citizens to personally make a difference," Squires said. "I think the fact that after all this, they changed their policy, [it] was a good thing."