Gay activists vs. Chick-fil-A
The restaurant chain is under fire for a connection to a group that opposes gay marriage. Is the company being dragged into a fight where it doesn't belong, or do its policies make it fair game?
Fast-food chain Chick-fil-A has been swept up in the gay marriage debate, after a Pennsylvania outlet offered free lunches for a February marriage seminar held by the Pennsylvania Family Institute, which has worked to defeat gay rights initiatives. Critics — who already derided the fast-food company as "Jesus chicken" for its Christian corporate ethos — unleashed a barrage of criticism, accusing the company of being "anti-gay." Chick-fil-A's president, Dan Cathy, said the company is not "anti-anybody." Is Chick-fil-A being unfairly targeted, or did it get itself into this fix? (Watch a local report about a campus protest)
Chick-fil-A is anti-gay: No matter what the company claims, says the blog Good as You, the truth is that Chick-fil-A has extensive "ties to anti-gay advocacy." The company's profits — "profits you contribute to anytime you eat at one of the chain's many locations" — have been used to sponsor marriage seminars where participants speak out against gay rights. Chick-fil-A supports "love, family, and marriage," unless you're gay.
"Here's what Chick-fil-A defenders don't understand"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The critics are not being fair: Chick-fil-A's mission is "selling chicken sandwiches," not fighting gay marriage, says Peter Wood in The Chronicle of Higher Education. The company has never been accused of discriminating against gays or lesbians. This anti-Chick-fil-A campaign is just an unfair attempt to "punish and stigmatize those with whom the protesters disagree." It's especially sad that activists are trying to push the restaurant off college campuses, which are supposed to be bastions of free speech.
Criticizing Chick-fil-A is free speech: "Free speech is a two-way street, folks," says Matt Comer at InterstateQ. That means Chick-fil-A has "every right" to "sponsor anti-gay organizations and events — it's up to the company to decide whether doing so is in its own "best, fiscal interest." But "consumers aren't drones." We have every right to consider the political causes the company backs — and, if we disagree, to say we're going to eat lunch somewhere else.
"Freedom of speech does not equal carte blanche freedom from criticism"
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Smoking ban: the return of the nanny state?
Talking Point Starmer's plan to revive Sunak-era war on tobacco has struck an unsettling chord even with some non-smokers
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: September 7, 2024
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: September 7, 2024
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published