Hungry? In the mood for chicken? Well, if you stop by Chick-fil-A, you can now count on getting something else with your sandwich -- a side dish of homophobia:
Though Chick-fil-A has come under considerable fire for its documented support of anti-gay Christian organizations, officials for the fast food chain have remained mostly tight-lipped about the controversy -- until now. In a new interview with the Baptist Press, Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy -- the son of company founder S. Truett Cathy -- addresses what the publication describes as his franchise's "support of the traditional family." Cathy's somewhat glib response: "Well, guilty as charged." (source)
Lest there be any doubt, Cathy reiterated his opposition to marriage equality in an interview shortly thereafter:
"I think we are inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say 'we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage' and I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about."
Cathy apparently said that line without any sense of the irony packed right into it. And for those wondering, this isn't an isolated rant, this is a long-time company practice:
The Atlanta-based company's questionable contributions have been both well reported and the subject of a number of high-profile protests. Earlier this month, Equality Matters published a report on a newly-released analysis of Chick-fil-A's charitable work that found that the fast food chain donated nearly $2 million to anti-gay groups over the course of 2010. Among those to reportedly receive donations through Chick-fil-A's WinShape Foundation were the Marriage & Family Foundation ($1,188,380), Exodus International ($1,000) and the Family Research Council (also $1,000). (source)
Send Cathy and Chick-fil-A a message. Tell them that chicken shouldn't be served with a side dish of homophobia, and that you'll be taking your business elsewhere.