Chick-Fil-Huh??

Although I'm partial to their chicken nuggets, it is a truth that Chick-Fil-A makes one delicious sandwich.  It's also true that there are loads of privately-owned companies with bigoted CEOs.  However, I fear the point of this debate is being missed through arguments found near the likes of Facebook.  In a time when over 1,100 basic human rights are being denied to more than 9 million Americans (those are just the ones who are out), the rest of us in the majority have a responsibility to our friends, coworkers, and family members to stand with the minority.

I honestly couldn't care less whether you fill your body with chicken made from mutant animals, burgers made with pink slime, or french fries that never decompose.  I also don't care how much extra money you're able to spend on super-organic-all-natural quinoa or how broke you are that you have to buy the 75-cent slice on the corner to not starve.  And I truthfully don't need to put our political views into our diets... they're already everywhere else, and if we want to discuss the issues, let's go.

I also firmly believe that Dan Cathy, President of Chick-Fil-A, has every right under the sun to be as big a bigot as he wants.  In that same light, though, I have to try to put myself in my friends' places.  If the President of another restaurant chain spent company funds supporting the KKK or other absurdly archaic and offensive groups like Focus on the Family, I might choose to stop my patronage there as well.  You might, too.  Or we might not.  We have the right to do either.

But the bottom line is this:  until Chick-Fil-A stops using its funds to support groups that work to make sure a group of minorities remain 2nd-class citizens and are proud of it, I'll have to go without those delicious waffle fries when I go to Arkansas or hit the airport in Orlando.  It's not a difficult sacrifice to make.  I can't consider myself a Straight Ally in this fight by running to the basement and irresponsibly ignoring things that are hurtful to those I love.

Conor Gaughan says it best in this article that I do hope you'll take the time to read.

If you disagree, I'm not looking to de-friend you, start a cyber-war, or even publicly show my disappointment when you "like" inflammatory pictures/articles/pages.  Just like you have the right to openly support bigotry, I have the right to shake my head in shame because I realize that you think this is over chicken and nothing more.  Know that each time you support this company, you're putting another dollar into the pockets of those keeping your friends, your coworkers, your children, your congregants, your cousins, and your neighbors down.