us Chick-fil-A facing gay kiss-in protest

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Chick-fil-A facing gay kiss-in protest

Supporters of gay marriage in the US plan to hold a protest at outlets of a fast-food chain, in response to its owner's opposition to same-sex unions.

Demonstrators plan to kiss a fellow protestor of the same sex inside Chick-fil-A restaurants.

Owner Dan Cathy has said he backs the "biblical definition of a family".

The "kiss-in" comes two days after "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day", when customers went to the chain's outlets in defence of Mr Cathy's comments.

Chick-fil-A restaurants in cities across southern states of the US, where the majority of the chain's outlets are located, were reported to be bustling with customers who turned out in support on Wednesday.

In a statement, the chain said that Wednesday had been "an unprecedented day", but it did not release exact sales numbers.

'Guilty as charged'

More than 13,000 people said on Facebook they would be attending "National Same Sex Kiss Day at Chick-fil-A" on Friday.

Carly McGehee, one of the organisers, told the Associated Press she hopes the event helps gay youths "who feel isolated and are victims of bullying".

The event was organised before ex-presidential candidates Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee called for customers to support the chain on Wednesday.

Supporters of Friday's protest include the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (Glaad).

"Without question, Dan Cathy has every right to voice his opinions and beliefs," Herndon Graddick, Glaad's president, said in a statement.

"But he should meet and get to know the people that he's speaking out against - the people who are harmed by his company's multi-million dollar donations to anti-gay hate groups working to hurt everyday LGBT Americans and break apart loving families."

In 2010, Mr Cathy's non-profit WinShape, largely supported by Chick-fil-A, donated $2m (?1.2m) to groups that oppose gay marriage, ABC News reports.

Among those was the National Organization for Marriage, which led efforts to ban gay marriage in California.

Mr Cathy's comments came last month in a religious publication, where he said he was "guilty as charged" in backing "the biblical definition of a family".

"We don't claim to be a Christian business," Mr Cathy said. "But as an organization we can operate on biblical principles."

In a later radio interview, he said: "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."'

Mr Cathy is a Southern Baptist and his chain does not operate any of its stores on Sunday, in observance of the Christian holy day.

"The Chick-fil-A culture and 66-year-old service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect - regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender," the company said in a statement.

Source: BBC News

[Charisma Veteran]

Sexual assault as a protest? That'll go over delightfully, I'm sure. (edited, see my second response below :laugh:)

I wish people would get over themselves. On either "side" of this ridiculous controversy. The founder of CFA has just as much of a right to express himself as gay people do, I have no idea why everyone is so worked up over this BS when we have real problems to fix. Why is nobody mass-protesting in DC to get this budget crap sorted out, for example? We're more worried about what some guy who owns a chicken restaurant thinks than we are about the corruption rife in our government.

I haven't enough palms or faces to adequately express myself.

[Guest nicconics]

Boy you just opened a can of worms with that response. This IS neowin, the protector of the gay/transgender/lesbian/anything else anyone has an opinion on site.

[Noir Angel]

How exactly is this sexual assault, they're going to be kissing each other not random people off the street :/

[WelshBluebird]

Sexual assault as a protest? That'll go over delightfully, I'm sure.

And how exactly is kissing a person (who consents to that kissing) sexual assault?

Of course, the answer is it isn't sexual assault. So stop using phrases that don't apply just to make your argument look better.

[BajiRav]

Sexual assault as a protest? That'll go over delightfully, I'm sure.

I wish people would get over themselves. On either "side" of this ridiculous controversy. The founder of CFA has just as much of a right to express himself as gay people do, I have no idea why everyone is so worked up over this BS when we have real problems to fix. Why is nobody mass-protesting in DC to get this budget crap sorted out, for example? We're more worried about what some guy who owns a chicken restaurant thinks than we are about the corruption rife in our government.

I haven't enough palms or faces to adequately express myself.

This +1 a million times.

[Charisma Veteran]

And how exactly is kissing a person (who consents to that kissing) sexual assault?

Of course, the answer is it isn't sexual assault. So stop using phrases that don't apply just to make your argument look better.

Oh my, you're right. I read it wrong--I thought it said they were going to kiss the other protesters, the ones there supporting what the CEO said. Apologies!

This is what happens when I read news articles pre-caffeine.

(I'm not arguing for anything, I have no "side" in this matter, my personal opinion is this whole thing is ridiculous.)

The rest of my post still applies though.

[hagjohn]

Sexual assault as a protest? That'll go over delightfully, I'm sure.

I wish people would get over themselves. On either "side" of this ridiculous controversy. The founder of CFA has just as much of a right to express himself as gay people do, I have no idea why everyone is so worked up over this BS when we have real problems to fix. Why is nobody mass-protesting in DC to get this budget crap sorted out, for example? We're more worried about what some guy who owns a chicken restaurant thinks than we are about the corruption rife in our government.

I haven't enough palms or faces to adequately express myself.

I'll ignore the first comment but it's not about what he said. It's about them using company profits to support anti-gay organization, which they've done for years.

[soniqstylz]

Sexual assault as a protest? That'll go over delightfully, I'm sure.

I wish people would get over themselves. On either "side" of this ridiculous controversy. The founder of CFA has just as much of a right to express himself as gay people do, I have no idea why everyone is so worked up over this BS when we have real problems to fix. Why is nobody mass-protesting in DC to get this budget crap sorted out, for example? We're more worried about what some guy who owns a chicken restaurant thinks than we are about the corruption rife in our government.

I haven't enough palms or faces to adequately express myself.

For some people, being able to hold the same civil protections as everyone else is a big deal. For them, it's a deeply personal, very real problem to fix. Also, as someone posted above, it's not about what he said, but that they've donated millions to groups that actively try to get laws passed making homosexuality a criminal offense, get a Marriage Amendment to the Constitution, and attempt to spread ideas like "pray the gay away".

Tho I don't really agree with this particular idea. Right-wingers who believe that gays are icky aren't going to have their minds changed by having two guys making out right in front of them (or their over-protected kids). Hell, I'm not even pesonally big on seeing hetero PDA (unless I'm one of the ones doing it).

Personally, I'd rather just see more support for events like this: https://www.facebook...13515905352295/ than some form of protest.

Also, I'll just leave these two images here:

[DocM]

Sexual assault as a protest? That'll go over delightfully, I'm sure. (edited, see my second response below :laugh:)

I wish people would get over themselves. On either "side" of this ridiculous controversy. The founder of CFA has just as much of a right to express himself as gay people do, I have no idea why everyone is so worked up over this BS when we have real problems to fix. Why is nobody mass-protesting in DC to get this budget crap sorted out, for example? We're more worried about what some guy who owns a chicken restaurant thinks than we are about the corruption rife in our government.

I haven't enough palms or faces to adequately express myself.

EXACTLY!!

[threetonesun]

I wish people would get over themselves. On either "side" of this ridiculous controversy. The founder of CFA has just as much of a right to express himself as gay people do, I have no idea why everyone is so worked up over this BS when we have real problems to fix. Why is nobody mass-protesting in DC to get this budget crap sorted out, for example? We're more worried about what some guy who owns a chicken restaurant thinks than we are about the corruption rife in our government.

I haven't enough palms or faces to adequately express myself.

If he has said people of race X shouldn't marry people of race Y, and people came out to support that, we'd call it a KKK meeting.

I mean, I do agree in part, the correct response should be why do we care what the owner of a friggin' fried chicken shop thinks?

[ILikeTobacco]

I am against anyone campaigning against my right to pursue happiness which is what they activists are campaigning for believe it or not. My pursuit of happiness happens to include a delicious chicken sandwich as well as my right to have any kind of sandwich I choose to have from where I choose to have it damnit.

[KingCracker]

I am against anyone campaigning against my right to pursue happiness which is what they activists are campaigning for believe it or not. My pursuit of happiness happens to include a delicious chicken sandwich as well as my right to have any kind of sandwich I choose to have from where I choose to have it damnit.

They're not forcing you not to do what you want. CFA has just as much as a right to say what it feels as you and I do. Don't like it? Tough don't eat there.

[DocM]

They're not forcing you not to do what you want. CFA has just as much as a right to say what it feels as you and I do. Don't like it? Tough don't eat there.

+10,000

[ILikeTobacco]

They're not forcing you not to do what you want. CFA has just as much as a right to say what it feels as you and I do. Don't like it? Tough don't eat there.

Read my post again. The protesters are trying to have the company shut down. Thats their end goal as has been publicly stated. They are trying to take away my right to pursue happiness which happens to include eating at that resturant. Their goal is to force me to not be able to eat there anymore which messes with my pursuit of happiness...because those are some damn tasty sandwiches.

[KingCracker]

Read my post again. The protesters are trying to have the company shut down. Thats their end goal as has been publicly stated. They are trying to take away my right to pursue happiness which happens to include eating at that resturant. Their goal is to force me to not be able to eat there anymore which messes with my pursuit of happiness...because those are some damn tasty sandwiches.

It wont happen. If it did this country will have lost all creditability as far as free speech goes. Oh god someone hurt your feelings SHUT THEM DOWN! Lots of people say things I don't like but i'm not going to protest over it.

[BajiRav]

If he has said people of race X shouldn't marry people of race Y, and people came out to support that, we'd call it a KKK meeting.

I mean, I do agree in part, the correct response should be why do we care what the owner of a friggin' fried chicken shop thinks?

Personally I think racial discrimination is a much more serious issue than this.

[ILikeTobacco]

It wont happen. If it did this country will have lost all creditability as far as free speech goes. Oh god someone hurt your feelings SHUT THEM DOWN! Lots of people say things I don't like but i'm not going to protest over it.

I realize that but that is why these protesters don't get my support at all. I understand and even agree with why they are protesting, but I don't agree with what their goals are. If there goals were to entice policy changes, I would be all for it. But that isn't their goal. They are trying to have the chain shut down completely.

[deactivated_]

Isn't being inside a place of business without making a purchase considered loitering? I'm *assuming* these protesters aren't planning on buying anything while inside, correct?

[threetonesun]

Personally I think racial discrimination is a much more serious issue than this.

Yeah, but it's not. Clearly you're not the only one though, since there were an awful lot of lard asses out on Wednesday showing their "support".

[ILikeTobacco]

Isn't being inside a place of business without making a purchase considered loitering? I'm *assuming* these protesters aren't planning on buying anything while inside, correct?

Most of these places are inside a mall which means they can actually surround the store. As long as there is a safe way in/out, you can stand out in the public hallway. The owner of the mall would have to say no loitering which isn't likely to happen because its a mall.

[KingCracker]

Yeah, but it's not. Clearly you're not the only one though, since there were an awful lot of lard asses out on Wednesday showing their "support".

Supporters of freedom of speech=lard ass's?

[deactivated_]

Most of these places are inside a mall which means they can actually surround the store. As long as there is a safe way in/out, you can stand out in the public hallway. The owner of the mall would have to say no loitering which isn't likely to happen because its a mall.

All of the Chick-Fil-As here are standalones, with 'No Loitering' posted, as common to fast food places in this area, which is what made me wonder, is all.

[Touchadowns]

Why do gay people think they only way to protest is to flaunt their sexuality in front of people? They do this all the time, it's so juvenile.

[WelshBluebird]

Personally I think racial discrimination is a much more serious issue than this.

So you think if the company was putting money into anti-black campaigns it would be more serious?

How exactly?

Discrimination based on sexuality is just as bad as discrimination based on race.