Robert looked around and cringed. Even if you ignored the homophobic remarks of Chick-fil-A’s president, Dan Cathy, you were left with the garish ambiance of a restaurant that should be serving its gruesome food to serial killers in hell.
Robert had a history of social activism and decided to convene an emergency lunch at Chick-fil-A for members of the Food Porn Supper Club.
He also had no illusions. When he was in his mid-20s he got involved in the short-lived protest group, Queer Nation. In the South, the national group concentrated on the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain’s policy of firing gay employees.
UPDATE:Organizers of this event have expanded it to name it National Marriage Equality Day and asking people to patronize numerous companies that support LGBT equality in addition to Starbucks on Tuesday. A full list can be found on the Facebook page.
Like your summertime Iced Coffee Venti served with some LGBT equality? Then Aug. 7 is the day for you.
Equally Wed cofounder and editor-in-chief Kirsten Ott Palladino is ready to strike back against the right-wing's successful Chick-fil-A's Appreciation Day and is asking LGBT people and allies to show their support for Starbucks on Aug. 7 as part of National Starbucks Appreciation Day.
Based in Atlanta where Chick-fil-A is also based, Equally Wed is a national online magazine dedicated to celebrating marriage equality.
In a statement, Ott Palladino expressed frustration with people supporting Chick-fil-A on Aug. 1 at the bequest of right-wing radio host and former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. The fast-food chain recorded record-setting sales on Wednesday. From Ott Palladino:
Yesterday might have been Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, but local businesses and activists will host their own demonstrations tomorrow, in what's being called National Same-Sex Kiss Day.
At least four groups are planning local protests.
Carma Productions, the force behind the Gayborhood App and The Gay Community Yellow Pages, will be outside the Chick-fil-A in Decatur from noon to 2 p.m.
Carma will be handing out coupons to gay-owned and gay-friendly local businesses and will have other giveaways for participants.
University campuses are joining political leaders and LGBT activists in criticizing the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain's outspoken stand against gay marriage.
Today, Emory University, known as one of the most LGBT-inclusive universities in the Southeast, issued a statement about the fast-food chain having a restaurant in the campus food court at Cox Hall. From Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life Dr. Ajay Nair:
Emory University has a long history of creating access, inclusion, and equity for Emory’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer students, faculty, staff and alumni. Recent public statements by Dan Cathy, president of Chick-fil-A, do not reflect Emory’s values as an institution.
Nevertheless, freedom of expression and an open exchange of ideas are also central tenets of the Emory community. Emory therefore respects the right of people to express their disagreement with Mr. Cathy by not patronizing Chick-fil-A. Emory’s vision statement calls for us to be 'internationally recognized as an inquiry-driven, ethically engaged, and diverse community, whose members work collaboratively for positive transformation in the world through courageous leadership in teaching, research, scholarship, health care, and social action.
Alex Wan, the sole gay Atlanta City Council member, said today he is disappointed with Chick-fil-A's corporate leadership stating it opposes gay marriage and would oppose the restaurant chain's efforts to expand in the city limits.
"Of course, as a proud member of the LGBT community, I am incredibly disappointed in Dan Cathy's [president of Chick-fil-A] position opposing marriage equality. And regardless of the fact that Chick-fil-A is based in Atlanta, that position is, to me, completely incompatible with the values of the City of Atlanta, 'the city too busy to hate,' and the key role we played in the civil rights movement," Wan said.
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee has organized a Chick-fil-A “buy-cott” for Wednesday, Aug.1 after he became “incensed at the vitriolic assaults” on the Atlanta-based fast food chain in the wake of company COO Dan Cathy's comments on same-sex marriage.
Cathy, son of the company's founder Truett Cathy, told the Baptist Press in a recent interview that the company was “guilty as charged” in its opposition to same-sex marriages.
“We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit,” Cathy is quoted as saying. “We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.”
The anti-gay attitudes of the hierarchy of southern favorite Atlanta-based fast-food chain Chick-fil-A has been well documented for months now. The company continually donates to organizations that oppose same-sex marriage and president Dan Cathy said this week his company is "guilty as charged" in its opposition to marriage equality.
"We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives," Cathy told the Baptist Press.
Fresh from the heels of the popular Hardee's/Carl's Jr. promotion earlier this month promoting the new Spiderman flick by giving away free food to customers who came into locations dressed as the comic hero, Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A will offer visitors who dress up as a cow free food on Friday, July 13.
Chick-filet-A is calling the giveaway "Cow Appreciation Day," and will give a free meal to those who come into their locations dressed as a cow from “head to hoof.” Customers who come in wearing a cow-accessory, like a hat or tail, will be given a free sandwich.
Gay rights activists are hoping to use the promotion to draw attention to Chick-fil-A's history of political donations to anti-gay organizations and causes.
Students with Berry College who are determined to get an official LGBT group started at the Christian liberal arts school say they are hopeful that the campus will soon get an official LGBT campus organization after faculty and administrators discussed the issue at a meeting on April 17.
An earlier version of this story stated students also met with the faculty and administrators, but that was incorrect.
According to the Change.org petition started to get the LGBT group, LISTEN, to move from unofficial status to an official campus organization, a group of students met April 17 with faculty. They said the "meeting was productive and pointed to a commitment on the part of the college to move Listen towards an official student group in a timely, though not immediate, manner."