Alternative Gay Response To Chick Fil-A Controversy

From an RHUer

Sadly, people are missisng the whole point about the Chick Fil A brouhaha. 

I AM gay, and I completely support them. 

Why? 

Because the president of the company has just as much right to his opinion as we have to ours.  We spend money and time for campaigns to stop people who do not share our opinion from bullying us--and then we turn right around and bully THEM. 

My partner and I will not participate in any PDA action, either.  We don't want to watch the straights necking, so why should they watch us?  This whole thing is ridiculous.  My partner and I believe in a live-and-let-live system, which means THEY leave US alone--and WE leave THEM alone.  We love our country, and we will fight side by side with those of any sexual orientation, gender, race, religion or creed to protect our God-given (yes, GOD-given) freedom to believe whatever we want, and the day any group is forced to give that up, all who have given up their lives, and those who have suffered protecting us, will have made their sacrifices in vain. 

Please stop promoting the hate.

--Anonymous RHUer.

Comments

[Larry Berry]

"and I completely support them.Because the president of the company has just as much right to his opinion as we have to ours."

So then do they completely support them or completely support the people who disagree with them. Both have the right to express their opinions, but you can't "completely agree" with both sides.

I don't support them. I completely disagree with them..... I do however support their right to have those opinions and express them. That is a different matter and something that many people seem to confuse. If you say you completely support them, then you agree with them. Not the same as supporting their right to have their opinion.

I don't have to respect what you believe, I only have to respect your right to do so.

[The Last Archimedean]

I think anyone, including the persident of Chick-Fil-A, who honestly believes not everyone should have the same rights in this country needs a lobotomy and to get their brain replaced with one that works.

That said, he's entitled to his stupid opinion. The great thing about this country is that differences in opinion are allowed, and it's not illegal to be stupider than a box of rocks. I'll fight like a demon to make sure that stupidity like his doesn't become law, and I'll use every argument in the book to try and get people like him to grow a functional brain and join the side that believes in the principle this country was founded on -- equality for ALL -- but some people are going to remain terminally stupid, and I accept that.

[Skittles]

Their rights ARE NOT BEING HARMED IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM. People really need to stop having this mistaken belief that just stating a right means it is socially acceptable to spout hate. Yes we all have the right to free speech. SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE. That means that people can EXPRESS THEIR OWN OPINIONS EVEN IF THEY ARE DIFFERENT THAN MINE.

THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH MEANS THE GOVERNMENT CAN NOT ARREST YOU FOR EXPRESSING YOUR OPINIONS, NOT THAT OTHERS CAN NOT DISAGREE.

The above is facts not opinions you have every right to disagree. You would be stupid but that hasn't stopped anyone yet, including myself at times.

[Becky]

The problem is less the president's opinion, and more where their profits go. The company donates money to hate groups (for example, the group promoting a bill in Uganda to make being gay a crime punishable by death.) People should know where their money goes and have a right speak out against it. (The most powerful way to speak out against it, of course, is by educating people and not spending your money there. That's why you won't find any Apple, Coca-Cola, or Nestle products in my home. Those three companies have done more evil than anyone will know, and I refuse to be a part of it.)

[Hiedi]

I respect the CEO's decision. I'm glad he can express it freely. But I hate it. I totally disagree with it.

The arguments that are being used right now over why gay people can't marry and raise kids is the same arguments used prior to 1967 to prevent interracial marriage. Same arguments used to prevent woman from voting. Same arguments used to prevent the ending of slavery for so many years. Same fucking arguments time and time again that prevent equal rights.

[Nomnom]

He's allowed to have his opinion (and actually it's the PRESIDENT's opinion, not the CEO's). And he's legally allowed to voice it without LEGAL consequences. The problem is that the profits from his company are going to fund hate groups actively trying to deny rights to a group of people. That means that if you eat at this place, you are supporting hate groups that deny rights to people. If you don't want to support that, then you will have to stop eating there. And people are entirely justified in doing so. Entirely.

It sounds like OP is missing the entire point of the Chick-fil-A brouhaha.

[March]

This whole thing is a hype. I wonder how many people only joined in the protests against Chick-Fil-A because it's the safest way to hone your self-righteousness (after all, there are more than enough fast-food chains where you can gorge yourself with a clean conscience).

At first I was supportive of the protests, but it's getting ridiculous now.

[Queer Geek]

We can over and over again about fucking Chick-Fil-Ass about free speech and blah blah blah! I've said it already and I'll say it again. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and does everyone is entitled to protest but I really think how the media and the public spins this whole issue is totally ridiculous and out of control. It's no longer about free speech and marriage equality from what I'm seeing. It's about immaturity from both sides (support free speech by eating chicken, PDA in front of the eatery to protest homophobia)over something so stupid. Chicken! A fucking chicken!

[Bumblebee]

I'm gonna out myself here. I live less than an hour and a half from Ptown. If you don't get the reference, Province Town. Basically, San Franscico on the east coast. It is, one of the most open, accepting, and amazing places to visit. I am bisexual, however, am currently dating a man. Whenever I have gone to the beach/shopping on commercial street, there are families, couples of all shapes, sizes, genders, and colours. There are gay people, straight people, transgendered, transexual, and representatives of all colours of the beautiful and expansive rainbow.

That being said. I've heard some stuff about people getting harassed, being called "breeders" etc. I've been there countless times, and I have NEVER EVER been treated differently because of who i'm with.

There is a difference between respecting the right to have differing opinions, and agreeing with both sides. I think the OP meant that they respect Chick-Fill-A's right to their opinion and they aren't going to protest. That's fine.

However, don't, please don't, liken protests to bullying. Bullying gays in Uganda is what Chick-fill-a is doing but worse. I hardly think that anyone in this day and age would liken using the same tactics employed by the civil rights and interracial marriage advocates as bullies... totally forgot where i was going...ugh

[Chicajojobe]

While I agree that Chick-Fil-A's CEO does have the right to have his opinion on gay marriage, and he has the right to voice it...he'd be stupid to think it wouldn't affect his business! I actually don't believe he didn't think it would. Rather he didn't care, or his position meant more to him than the potential loss of business.

I do also agree that mayors of certain cities should not have the right to ban a business because of a religious belief.

However, I have beef with the "yes, GOD-given" part of this. Apparently gay people have the right to exist but atheists don't?

[Hellbound Alleee]

Nice work reframing.

But when you fight against a bully, you are not bullying them.

What you just said was that "an original bully is the only one who has a right to bully." Or, shorter, "Bullying is a right, and they should not be criticized."

Good work.

You DO know that free speech is a legal issue, which means the GOVERNMENT has no right to stop you from being an ass. That means that if you stand up to an ass, the government also has no right to stop you. That's called freedom of speech, Sparky.

Yes! Just as you say Dan Cathy has a right to empower his business to support the execution of gays (in another country that we can't see), we have a right to say "NO. WE WON'T PATRONIZE YOUR BUSINESS."

I think it's pretty simple.

['ssassin]

Christ, really??? Could we please stop accepting the bullshit that this is about 'free speech' in any way, shape, or form? Has anyone arrested Mr. Cathy? Is he paying fines? Did the Speech Police interrogate him? No? You mean he has every right to keep being a hateful d-bag? Then his free speech is doing just fine. Freedom of speech does not mean 'freedom from criticism' or 'freedom from the social consequences of being an asshole'.
Also, for God's sake, stop accepting the bigoted side's narrative that the boycott is a 'free speech' issue. The boycott is about not wanting our money to go directly to hate groups encouraging things like legally acceptable discrimination, psychologically dangerous 'conversion therapy', and (as previously mentioned) the Ugandan death penalty for gays. I don't want to lose the few protections against anti-gay discrimination I have in my state, and I'd like to have more protections across the US - therefore, I don't just hand my hard-earned queer dollars to a company that will turn around and hand some of that money to groups that want to make my life, and the lives of people like me, empirically worse through anti-gay legislation.
I'll say it again: Chick-Fil-A hands thousands upon thousands of dollars of corporate profits to organizations that want to fuck up my life and the life of every LGB person in this country and others. Why would I help them with that?

[Larry Berry]

Since the banning of the business in certain cities was brought up.... I do agree that they shouldn't be able to ban the businesses (chic-fil-a or any others). However people are acting like they can't do so and it is a new thing. Businesses have been disallowed in certain areas for many reasons. Often they feel that a certain business doesn't reflect the image they want to convey (usually translating to mean they feel that businesses like mcdonalds are low class). In my old hometown third street was made up of family stores, privately owned shops and mom and pop stores. The city evicted them all to bring in big corporate stores (Hey I Love Best Buy, but not at the expense of running out mom and pop). One old guy that owned a pawn shop said he had his life savings and his retirement tied up in the store. Then in my new city, they previously tried to ban the strip clubs (and other adult stores). So yes it's wrong for them to be able to ban chik-fil-a, but let's not pretend it's something new, that's never been done before, or even that they Can't, as they have before.

[Zmidponk]

To the OP:

The problem is that people are not 'bullying' the President of Chik-Fil-A by boycotting Chik-Fil-A, or protesting against them, etc, they're disagreeing with them - something which is also protected by the 'right to opinion' you mention. As for the idea of you and your partner believing in a 'live and let live system', that's fine - as long as you actually get such a system working first. Currently, there is a concerted effort by some not just to simply express opinions about how being gay is wrong, etc, but actually legally restrict your rights based on those opinions. As such, THEY are not letting YOU live, so any attempt to follow such a system is doomed to fail, unless you're perfectly happy seeing your rights, and the rights of all other gay people, being gradually restricted more and more, if not simply eliminated entirely.

[Skittles]

An interesting point of constitutional law however could be brought to this whole argument. That would be the separation of church and state. To have laws based on religious values and for religious organizations to fund politicians is a direct violation of this. It would be perfectly fine for an individual to vote a certain way because of his religious beliefs or to donate because of them, but it should not be legal for a religious organization to do so.

[Themiscyra]

I have no interest in harassing anyone at Chick-Fil-A. I have no interest in staging Kiss-Ins. I have no interest in seeing them run out of town anywhere in the country - I'll trust in the market to do that, if that's the way the market goes.

But I also have no interest in spending money on people who are going to turn around and use that money to oppress me and my people.

Okay, reality check: I'm sure my money DOES go to people like that. People who are a lot more subtle about their hate than the Cathys. But when someone comes up and tells me to my face that they are against equality? When they're openly turning their profits over to organizations devoted to shattering dreams and holding back the expansion of my rights? I would be a goddamned fool to knowingly and willingly give them one red cent after that. Oh, I'm a fool in plenty of other ways, but not this one.

And I don't see that as bullying. That's my choice as an informed consumer. I'm not going to do business with these people. I would rather not see companies I respect doing business with these people - and I'm gratified to see that the Jim Henson Company has severed their ties to Chick-Fil-A, though I wish they'd done it sooner. Choosing NOT to lend my support to people who hate me is NOT bullying. It's just plain common sense.

Some folks have gone a bit too far with all this, it's true. While I admit I gave a little cheer when I heard the mayor of my hometown say Chick-Fil-A wasn't welcome here, that wasn't really his call and it did come off as inappropriately threatening. And that jackass in the drive-thru had no business pulling that crap on someone who was just doing their job. But the boycott? I support it. And I urge anyone else who feels icky about their money going to anti-gay hate groups to stop spending it at Chick-Fil-A. I know that means employees might suffer if the boycott takes off - might have their hours cut, might lose their jobs altogether. And I am sorry about that. But from what I hear, Chick-Fil-A treats most of its employees like shit anyway, and I can't in good conscience give someone my money knowing that even one cent is going to keeping the lights on at Bigot Central Station.

Admittedly, this isn't a difficult decision for me - I've eaten at Chick-Fil-A precisely once and wasn't impressed. Maybe I just went to a bad franchise or caught the cooks on an off day or something. But you can rest assured I won't be going back.

[Jewel]

LOL. I love all the shit you guys stir up. The stuff on WB is classic. As a fleame hiker myself . LOL, I'm dying. Is that really how you define yourself there anonymous? Come on, and who are you to criticize anyone? I guess in your Utopia, everyone is just like you. How boring. Spread your negativity somewhere else. It was obviously a joke. I am betting she doesn't even smoke. Ladies and Gent, keep on keeping on. I am enjoying the blog and the videos. If you don't mind, please give SOFAKING a shout out from MOUNTAINCHICKEN in one of the registers. He's still in Blacksburg wallowing in a bottle of liquor somewhere and leaving obscene posts on my FaceBook page. I am sure Blacksburg will spit him back out into the woods where he belongs soon enough. MC