There has been a lot of ink and electrons spent about the controversy over Chick-fil-A and its CEO supporting anti-gay groups and causes. I’ve known for a couple of years that Chick-fil-A was not a friend of the LGBT community and have chosen not to spend my money at any of their stores. There has been the typical conservative backlash. My feeling is if you support LGBTs then don’t spend money that will be used to hurt them.
The controversy got started earlier in the month when owner Dan Cathy made public statements against gay marriage which also brought out the fact that the company donated millions of dollars to anti-gay groups. The public relations dust up caused the Jim Henson company to pull out of a kids meal promotion and the outrage overflowed onto many articles in print and on the Internet from the LGBT community and its allies.
There were also some more emotional reactions against the company such as the Mayor of Boston saying he didn’t want the company operating the city.
Of course the resulting conservative backlash against the complaints included Mike Huckabee calling for a “Chick fil-A Appreciation Day” and we get this:
Mike Huckabee also has said:
This is about whether or not people ought to take action as was being taken against Chick-fil-A … because they disagreed with the personal views of a person of the company. Nobody has alleged that Chick-fil-A has discriminated against its customers or employees. That would be something to truly protest.
That is true. The company hasn’t put up signs saying “No Homos Allowed” and even if they did there isn’t consistent laws against that kind of discrimination but what the company does do is give money to groups and causes that want to discriminate against LGBTs.
A business that depends on mass customers shouldn’t be allowed to do things or support causes which discriminate hidden from view. I want to know if a business is supporting groups or causes that hurt other people so that I can go elsewhere with my money and I hope others who feel the way I do, also go elsewhere.
I don’t agree that people have the right to be a bully under cover of “religious freedom”.
If you support LGBTs then don’t spend money when you know it will be used to hurt them.