Chick-fil-A Anti-Gay Controversy: Gay Employe Speak Out | HuffPost Voic

Contents:

• IT’S TIME FOR GAYS TO FIVE CHICK-FIL-AFRIEDDENVER CY COUNCIL’S CISN TO LAY A AL FOR A CHICK-FIL-A AT THE CY’S AIRPORT IS MISGUID. LET THE PANY GO AHEAD: IT HAS ATONED FOR S PAST SS.SAMANTHA ALLENUPDATED APR. 14, 2017 9:50AM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 28, 2015 7:05PM EDT TAMI CHAPPELL/RTERSIT’S TIME TO TAKE A PAGE OM THE CHRISTIAN PLAYBOOK AND FIVE CHICK-FIL-A.I’M AN AGNOSTIC QUEER WOMAN WHO, OF URSE, TAK ISSUE WH CHICK-FIL-A’S ANTI-GAY PAST BUT THE PANY HAS MOVED ON AND WE SHOULD, TOO.THERE ARE BIGGER FISH—NAY, CHICKENS—TO Y.EVEN THOUGH CHICK-FIL-A’S MOST EGREG MISSTEPS NOW HAVE YEARS OF DT VERG THEM, THE DENVER CY COUNCIL HEMMED AND HAWED THIS PAST WEEK ABOUT A PROPOSED CHICK-FIL-A LOTN DENVER INTERNATNAL AIRPORT. AS THE DENVER POST REPORTED, COUNCILMAN PL LóPEZ LLED THE AL “REALLY, TLY A MORAL ISSUE ON THE CY” AND COUNCILWOMAN ROB KNIECH RAISED NCERNS ABOUT “RPORATE PROFS [BEG] ED TO FUND AND FUEL DISCRIMATN.”THE BS DEVELOPMENT COMMTEE VOTED TUDAY TO LAY THE AL—ALREADY SEVEN YEARS THE MAKG—FOR TWO MORE WEEKS.FOUR OF S SIX MEMBERS OF ALSO RAISED NCERNS ABOUT THE PANY’S POLICY OF CLOSG ANCHIS ON SUNDAY, WHICH, GIVEN CHICK-FIL-A’S RECENT FANCIAL PERFORMANCE, SEEMS LIKE A MOOT POT.CHICK-FIL-A’S SAL ARE SOARG AND IS CURRENTLY THE MOST POPULAR FAST-FOOD CHA THE UNTRY. THIS SHOULD BE A NO-BRAER FOR ANY AIRPORT, PECIALLY ONE FULL OF TRAVELERS WHO ARE A E HIGH EVERY SENSE OF THE TERM.IS CHICK-FIL-A STILL A MATTER OF PUBLIC MORALY? DO FUND DISCRIMATN? IF THE DENVER CY COUNCIL’S CLOCK STOPPED THREE YEARS AGO, THE ANSWER IS Y.Y, CHICK-FIL-A CEO DAN CATHY PUBLICLY VOICED SUPPORT FOR “THE BIBLIL FN OF THE FAY UN” 2012.Y, THE CATHY FAY’S WSHAPE FOUNDATN DONATED LNS OF DOLLARS TO ANTI-LGBT ANIZATNS LIKE THE FAY REARCH COUNCIL.AND IS HARD TO FET THE IMAG OF ANTI-MARRIAGE PROTTORS SWARMG CHICK-FIL-A RTRANTS THREE YEARS AGO AT MIKE HUCKABEE’S BEHT—A STUNT, BY THE WAY, THAT THE CHICK-FIL-A BRASS DID NOT ENDORSE.BUT ’S NOT 2012 ANYMORE. IT’S 2015. THE LGBT MOVEMENT AS A WHOLE IS FAR OM OVER BUT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IS NOW LEGAL NATNWI, SO DON’T EXACTLY MATTER WHAT DAN CATHY THKS ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE.THE PANY’S NEW FOUNDATN ALSO END NEARLY ALL OF S DONATNS TO ANTI-LGBT ANIZATNS 2012, WH $25,390 TO THE FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHLET AS THE ONLY POTENTIAL SORE POT.SO WHY ARE WE—FELLOW LGBT FOLKS AND POLIL ALLI—STILL LIVG THE PAST?THERE’S NO POT FURTHER PUNISHG A PANY THAT HAS ALREADY FELT AND REACTED TO THE PUBLIC’S WRATH, PECIALLY WHEN THE FAR RIGHT IS EAGER TO PICT LGBT PEOPLE AS CENSOR, RELIG-EEDOM NYG, ANTI-CHRISTIAN BIGOTS.CONSERVATIVE MEDIA OUTLETS LOVE STORI LIKE DENVER CY COUNCIL’S RECENT VOTE AND FOR GOOD REASON: AT A TIME WHEN LGBT LEARS ARE STILL LOOKG TO ADVANCE DISCRIMATN LAW AND TRANSGENR EQUALY, AN ATTACK ON CHICK-FIL-A PATS THE MOVEMENT AS BEG DNK ON S OWN VICTORY.THERE’S ALSO THIS DIRTY LTLE SECRET TO NSIR: MOST OF THE LGBT PEOPLE I KNOW LOVE CHICK-FIL-A. (IF YOU’LL RELL, ONE OF THE MOST ENTHIASTIC ENDORSEMENTS OF THE PANY 2012 ME OM DRAG QUEENS WHO URGED TO “CHOW DOWN AT CHICK-FIL-A EVEN IF YOU’RE GAY.”)IT’S ANECDOTAL DATA, TE, BUT MY EXPERIENC WERE RROBORATED BY OUR OWN JT JON’ REPORTG ON CHICK-FIL-A’S FORAY TO MANHATTAN. IT ED TO BE THE SE THAT QUEER CHICKEN-O-PHIL LIKE MYSELF WOULD HAVE TO TREK ALL THE WAY TO THE PARAM PARK MALL FOR A FIX BUT SOON, NO LONGER.MY OWN HISTORY WH CHICK-FIL-A IS EMBARRASSG TO ADM, BUT I’LL SHARE THE TERT OF FULL DISCLOSURE. AS A CHILD, I WROTE A LETTER TO THE PANY PRAISG THEIR CHICKEN NUGGETS AND RECEIVED A EE T-SHIRT RETURN—AN EXPENSIVE GIFT THAT I ACCEPTED (AND ED AS PAJAMAS) WELL ADVANCE OF MY TIME AT THE DAILY BEAST BUT IF PROMIS MY TEGRY, SO BE .A OR SO LATER, WHEN I WAS ACCEPTED TO A DOCTORAL PROGRAM ATLANTA, I WAS AS EXCED ABOUT MOVG TO THE CHICK-FIL-A PAL OF THE UNIVERSE AS I WAS ABOUT THE OFFER SELF. AND FOR FIVE GLOR YEARS, I LIVED THE CY WHERE CHICKEN SANDWICH ARE AN ACCEPTABLE FUEL SOURCE AND WAFFLE I RA OM THE SKY.BUT THAT ALSO MEANT THAT I WAS AT THE EPICENTER OF 2012’S CHICKENGATE. STUNT LEARS AT THE FAMOLY LGBT-IENDLY EMORY UNIVERSY MPAIGNED FOR MONTHS TO BANISH CHICK-FIL-A OM OUR FETERIA.I WAS THE ONE EATG CHICK-FIL-A A DARK RNER SOMEWHERE BEFORE GOG TO VOLUNTEER AT THE LGBT OFFICE—A TACTIC THAT MANY OF MY IENDS, MOST OF THEM QUEER, ALSO ED TO AVOID SHAMG LOOKS ON MP.SCHOOL ADMISTRATN IALLY SUPPORTED CHICK-FIL-A, ACKNOWLEDGG THAT S PRENCE ON MP “HAS BEE A SYMBOL OF EXCLN FOR SOME MUNY MEMBERS” BUT UPHOLDG DAN CATHY’S RIGHT TO “OPEN EXPRSN.” BUT SPRG 2013, CHICK-FIL-A WAS REMOVED AS PART OF A LARGER OVERHL TO MP DG OPTNS. EMORY ADMISTRATN MATAED THAT THE CISN WAS NOT POLIL. I STARTED LEAVG MP FOR LUNCH.EVEN BACK THEN, THE LOGIC OF “GAYTTG” SEEMED A LTLE LOST. CHICK-FIL-A WAS A TARGET FOR A REAL AND, Y, JTIFIABLE ANGER BUT PART OF THE BOYTT’S APPEAL WAS THAT S IMPACT ULD BE MEASURED BARY TERMS: THE RTRANT WAS EHER ON A LLEGE MP OR WASN’T. THE PANY EHER MATAED A SPONSORSHIP OR THEY DIDN’T.AT A TIME WHEN THE LGBT MOVEMENT WAS MAKG PIECEMEAL GAS A CULTURE WAR MORE NEBULO THAN IS TODAY, A CHICKEN SANDWICH MA FOR AN EASY RALLYG CRY.THE DAYS, HOWEVER, VOICG OPPOSN TO CHICK-FIL-A JT SEEMS LIKE VENGEANCE.DENVER CY COUNCIL’S FGER-WAGGG ISN’T THE ONLY TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED, ALTHOUGH IS THE MOST RECENT.IN APRIL, JOHNS HOPKS STUNTS VOTED TO OPPOSE A PURELY HYPOTHETIL CHICK-FIL-A ON MP THAT HAD NOT EVEN BEEN ANNOUNCED.THE NEXT MONTH, STUNTS AT VALPARAISO UNIVERSY INDIANA MPAIGNED AGAST A POTENTIAL LOTN ON THEIR OWN MP.AS CHIGO TRIBUNE REPORTED, STUNTS AT VALPARAISO FELT THAT CHICK-FIL-A’S ACTNS WERE “STILL RECENT HISTORY.”BUT RECENT HISTORY IS STILL HISTORY. NO ONE HAS TO LIKE CHICK-FIL-A AS MUCH AS I DO—SUCH A THG MIGHT NOT EVEN BE POSSIBLE—BUT TRYG TO THWART S EXPANSN WHEN THE GREAT GAYTT OF 2012 ALREADY ACHIEVED S GOALS MIGHT NOT BE THE SOUNST POLIL STRATEGY.REMEMBER THE OLD SAYG: REVENGE IS A DISH BT SERVED BETWEEN TWO BUTTERED BUNS. SAMANTHA ALLEN
• I’M GAY AND I EAT AT CHICK-FIL-A. SHOULD I FEEL ASHAMED?
• FDG OUT WTBROOK’S CHICK-FIL-A IS OWNED BY TWO GAY MEN MA ME PSE
• CHICK-FIL-A ANTI-GAY CONTROVERSY: GAY EMPLOYE SPEAK OUT

IT’S TIME FOR GAYS TO FIVE CHICK-FIL-AFRIEDDENVER CY COUNCIL’S CISN TO LAY A AL FOR A CHICK-FIL-A AT THE CY’S AIRPORT IS MISGUID. LET THE PANY GO AHEAD: IT HAS ATONED FOR S PAST SS.SAMANTHA ALLENUPDATED APR. 14, 2017 9:50AM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 28, 2015 7:05PM EDT TAMI CHAPPELL/RTERSIT’S TIME TO TAKE A PAGE OM THE CHRISTIAN PLAYBOOK AND FIVE CHICK-FIL-A.I’M AN AGNOSTIC QUEER WOMAN WHO, OF URSE, TAK ISSUE WH CHICK-FIL-A’S ANTI-GAY PAST BUT THE PANY HAS MOVED ON AND WE SHOULD, TOO.THERE ARE BIGGER FISH—NAY, CHICKENS—TO Y.EVEN THOUGH CHICK-FIL-A’S MOST EGREG MISSTEPS NOW HAVE YEARS OF DT VERG THEM, THE DENVER CY COUNCIL HEMMED AND HAWED THIS PAST WEEK ABOUT A PROPOSED CHICK-FIL-A LOTN DENVER INTERNATNAL AIRPORT. AS THE DENVER POST REPORTED, COUNCILMAN PL LóPEZ LLED THE AL “REALLY, TLY A MORAL ISSUE ON THE CY” AND COUNCILWOMAN ROB KNIECH RAISED NCERNS ABOUT “RPORATE PROFS [BEG] ED TO FUND AND FUEL DISCRIMATN.”THE BS DEVELOPMENT COMMTEE VOTED TUDAY TO LAY THE AL—ALREADY SEVEN YEARS THE MAKG—FOR TWO MORE WEEKS.FOUR OF S SIX MEMBERS OF ALSO RAISED NCERNS ABOUT THE PANY’S POLICY OF CLOSG ANCHIS ON SUNDAY, WHICH, GIVEN CHICK-FIL-A’S RECENT FANCIAL PERFORMANCE, SEEMS LIKE A MOOT POT.CHICK-FIL-A’S SAL ARE SOARG AND IS CURRENTLY THE MOST POPULAR FAST-FOOD CHA THE UNTRY. THIS SHOULD BE A NO-BRAER FOR ANY AIRPORT, PECIALLY ONE FULL OF TRAVELERS WHO ARE A E HIGH EVERY SENSE OF THE TERM.IS CHICK-FIL-A STILL A MATTER OF PUBLIC MORALY? DO FUND DISCRIMATN? IF THE DENVER CY COUNCIL’S CLOCK STOPPED THREE YEARS AGO, THE ANSWER IS Y.Y, CHICK-FIL-A CEO DAN CATHY PUBLICLY VOICED SUPPORT FOR “THE BIBLIL FN OF THE FAY UN” 2012.Y, THE CATHY FAY’S WSHAPE FOUNDATN DONATED LNS OF DOLLARS TO ANTI-LGBT ANIZATNS LIKE THE FAY REARCH COUNCIL.AND IS HARD TO FET THE IMAG OF ANTI-MARRIAGE PROTTORS SWARMG CHICK-FIL-A RTRANTS THREE YEARS AGO AT MIKE HUCKABEE’S BEHT—A STUNT, BY THE WAY, THAT THE CHICK-FIL-A BRASS DID NOT ENDORSE.BUT ’S NOT 2012 ANYMORE. IT’S 2015. THE LGBT MOVEMENT AS A WHOLE IS FAR OM OVER BUT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IS NOW LEGAL NATNWI, SO DON’T EXACTLY MATTER WHAT DAN CATHY THKS ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE.THE PANY’S NEW FOUNDATN ALSO END NEARLY ALL OF S DONATNS TO ANTI-LGBT ANIZATNS 2012, WH $25,390 TO THE FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHLET AS THE ONLY POTENTIAL SORE POT.SO WHY ARE WE—FELLOW LGBT FOLKS AND POLIL ALLI—STILL LIVG THE PAST?THERE’S NO POT FURTHER PUNISHG A PANY THAT HAS ALREADY FELT AND REACTED TO THE PUBLIC’S WRATH, PECIALLY WHEN THE FAR RIGHT IS EAGER TO PICT LGBT PEOPLE AS CENSOR, RELIG-EEDOM NYG, ANTI-CHRISTIAN BIGOTS.CONSERVATIVE MEDIA OUTLETS LOVE STORI LIKE DENVER CY COUNCIL’S RECENT VOTE AND FOR GOOD REASON: AT A TIME WHEN LGBT LEARS ARE STILL LOOKG TO ADVANCE DISCRIMATN LAW AND TRANSGENR EQUALY, AN ATTACK ON CHICK-FIL-A PATS THE MOVEMENT AS BEG DNK ON S OWN VICTORY.THERE’S ALSO THIS DIRTY LTLE SECRET TO NSIR: MOST OF THE LGBT PEOPLE I KNOW LOVE CHICK-FIL-A. (IF YOU’LL RELL, ONE OF THE MOST ENTHIASTIC ENDORSEMENTS OF THE PANY 2012 ME OM DRAG QUEENS WHO URGED TO “CHOW DOWN AT CHICK-FIL-A EVEN IF YOU’RE GAY.”)IT’S ANECDOTAL DATA, TE, BUT MY EXPERIENC WERE RROBORATED BY OUR OWN JT JON’ REPORTG ON CHICK-FIL-A’S FORAY TO MANHATTAN. IT ED TO BE THE SE THAT QUEER CHICKEN-O-PHIL LIKE MYSELF WOULD HAVE TO TREK ALL THE WAY TO THE PARAM PARK MALL FOR A FIX BUT SOON, NO LONGER.MY OWN HISTORY WH CHICK-FIL-A IS EMBARRASSG TO ADM, BUT I’LL SHARE THE TERT OF FULL DISCLOSURE. AS A CHILD, I WROTE A LETTER TO THE PANY PRAISG THEIR CHICKEN NUGGETS AND RECEIVED A EE T-SHIRT RETURN—AN EXPENSIVE GIFT THAT I ACCEPTED (AND ED AS PAJAMAS) WELL ADVANCE OF MY TIME AT THE DAILY BEAST BUT IF PROMIS MY TEGRY, SO BE .A OR SO LATER, WHEN I WAS ACCEPTED TO A DOCTORAL PROGRAM ATLANTA, I WAS AS EXCED ABOUT MOVG TO THE CHICK-FIL-A PAL OF THE UNIVERSE AS I WAS ABOUT THE OFFER SELF. AND FOR FIVE GLOR YEARS, I LIVED THE CY WHERE CHICKEN SANDWICH ARE AN ACCEPTABLE FUEL SOURCE AND WAFFLE I RA OM THE SKY.BUT THAT ALSO MEANT THAT I WAS AT THE EPICENTER OF 2012’S CHICKENGATE. STUNT LEARS AT THE FAMOLY LGBT-IENDLY EMORY UNIVERSY MPAIGNED FOR MONTHS TO BANISH CHICK-FIL-A OM OUR FETERIA.I WAS THE ONE EATG CHICK-FIL-A A DARK RNER SOMEWHERE BEFORE GOG TO VOLUNTEER AT THE LGBT OFFICE—A TACTIC THAT MANY OF MY IENDS, MOST OF THEM QUEER, ALSO ED TO AVOID SHAMG LOOKS ON MP.SCHOOL ADMISTRATN IALLY SUPPORTED CHICK-FIL-A, ACKNOWLEDGG THAT S PRENCE ON MP “HAS BEE A SYMBOL OF EXCLN FOR SOME MUNY MEMBERS” BUT UPHOLDG DAN CATHY’S RIGHT TO “OPEN EXPRSN.” BUT SPRG 2013, CHICK-FIL-A WAS REMOVED AS PART OF A LARGER OVERHL TO MP DG OPTNS. EMORY ADMISTRATN MATAED THAT THE CISN WAS NOT POLIL. I STARTED LEAVG MP FOR LUNCH.EVEN BACK THEN, THE LOGIC OF “GAYTTG” SEEMED A LTLE LOST. CHICK-FIL-A WAS A TARGET FOR A REAL AND, Y, JTIFIABLE ANGER BUT PART OF THE BOYTT’S APPEAL WAS THAT S IMPACT ULD BE MEASURED BARY TERMS: THE RTRANT WAS EHER ON A LLEGE MP OR WASN’T. THE PANY EHER MATAED A SPONSORSHIP OR THEY DIDN’T.AT A TIME WHEN THE LGBT MOVEMENT WAS MAKG PIECEMEAL GAS A CULTURE WAR MORE NEBULO THAN IS TODAY, A CHICKEN SANDWICH MA FOR AN EASY RALLYG CRY.THE DAYS, HOWEVER, VOICG OPPOSN TO CHICK-FIL-A JT SEEMS LIKE VENGEANCE.DENVER CY COUNCIL’S FGER-WAGGG ISN’T THE ONLY TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED, ALTHOUGH IS THE MOST RECENT.IN APRIL, JOHNS HOPKS STUNTS VOTED TO OPPOSE A PURELY HYPOTHETIL CHICK-FIL-A ON MP THAT HAD NOT EVEN BEEN ANNOUNCED.THE NEXT MONTH, STUNTS AT VALPARAISO UNIVERSY INDIANA MPAIGNED AGAST A POTENTIAL LOTN ON THEIR OWN MP.AS CHIGO TRIBUNE REPORTED, STUNTS AT VALPARAISO FELT THAT CHICK-FIL-A’S ACTNS WERE “STILL RECENT HISTORY.”BUT RECENT HISTORY IS STILL HISTORY. NO ONE HAS TO LIKE CHICK-FIL-A AS MUCH AS I DO—SUCH A THG MIGHT NOT EVEN BE POSSIBLE—BUT TRYG TO THWART S EXPANSN WHEN THE GREAT GAYTT OF 2012 ALREADY ACHIEVED S GOALS MIGHT NOT BE THE SOUNST POLIL STRATEGY.REMEMBER THE OLD SAYG: REVENGE IS A DISH BT SERVED BETWEEN TWO BUTTERED BUNS. SAMANTHA ALLEN

Notably, Chick-fil-A never explicly said would permanently stop donatg to anti-gay groups or anizatns that discrimate agast LGBTQ people — jt said was changg s philanthropic givg mol.

I’M GAY AND I EAT AT CHICK-FIL-A. SHOULD I FEEL ASHAMED?

In 2012, the Chigo-based Civil Rights Agenda issued a statement claimg that Chick-fil-A had promised to “no longer give to anti-gay anizatns, such as Foc on the Fay and the Natnal Organizatn for marriage.

As ThkProgrs reported 2017, Chick-fil-A ntued to bankroll anti-gay groups like the Fellowship of Christian Athlet, the Salvatn Army, and the Pl Anrson Youth Home through s foundatn. A year earlier, a Pennsylvania Chick-fil-A’s cisn to donate food to a marriage semar nducted by the Pennsylvania Fay Instute, a group known for s anti-gay advocy, prompted a natnwi boytt of the cha. Cathy issued a vio statement rponse to the boytt, which he claimed the pany “serv all people” and that, while he personally believ the “biblil fn of marriage, ” his pany don’t have an “anti-gay agenda.

FDG OUT WTBROOK’S CHICK-FIL-A IS OWNED BY TWO GAY MEN MA ME PSE

In 2011, the same year a Pennsylvania Chick-fil-A anchise donated food to a lol anti-gay anizatn, the LGBTQ advocy group Equaly Matters obtaed tax rerds which revealed that the Cathy fay had donated more than $1.

9 ln to anti-gay groups 2010 through the WShape Foundatn, the Cathy fay’s charable givg anizatn found by Tett Cathy 1984. 1 ln gift to the Marriage & Fay Foundatn, a group that promoted so-lled tradnal marriage and opposed both gay marriage and divorce; $480, 000 to the Fellowship of Christian Athlet, an athletic anizatn that requir applints to agree to a “sexual pury statement” that nmns LGBTQ people for livg “impure liftyle[s]”; and $1, 000 to Exod Internatnal, a group that promot anti-gay nversn therapy.

For Chick-fil-A’s opponents, the problem was bigger than Cathy’s anti-gay ments, was that he was apparently puttg his money where his mouth was, and he had a lot of money to go around. In a 2014 terview wh the Atlanta Journal-Constutn, Cathy admted he regretted gettg volved the gay marriage bate.

CHICK-FIL-A ANTI-GAY CONTROVERSY: GAY EMPLOYE SPEAK OUT

Though Chick-fil-A never managed to fully shed s reputatn as a homophobic purveyor of lic chicken sandwich, ntued to expand s natnal prence, pecially above the Mason-Dixon le.