Tag Archives: Chick-Fil-A

Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse Just Yet

Two huge national stories are almost sort of kind of breaking. Chick-fil-A has promised not to fund hate with their corporate profit. The Boy Scouts might stop requiring discrimination based on sexual orientation – it will be optional. horse cart

I am not being a smartass. I’m being deliberately skeptical because both of these organizations have stepped into these waters in the past. So I think it wise to wait for the ink to dry lest we settle for too little, too soon.

First, Chick-fil-A. Really, do you want to go back there? I think we have a case of wanting to have our sandwich and eat it, too. I can’t imagine that we could ever ever trust the Cathay family given how often they’ve misled the public about the nature of their WinShape Foundation.  In reality, they can donate to whomever they want to support whatever causes they want. Do you really think it will ever be different? This is not some great moral victory. It is business – campus and universities have business that Chick-fil-A wants and Campus Pride is in the way. End of story. I’m so exhausted by reading about this. If you eat at this business, accept that people are going to judge you by the company you keep. The choice is always your no matter how the funding in spun.

The Boy Scouts – a different issue. Decentralizing the decision-making over sexual orientation bans is a step in the right direction and something that many, many people should be proud making happen. It isn’t perfect (like Chick-fil-A) but it is also not a business – it is an organization that shapes the lives of so many young men in nation. Opening the door for the local councils to focus on their good work and letting go of this hate will be wonderful. If it happens. Changing a policy supported by the Supreme Court will be wonderful. If it happens.

My fear is that people will jump too soon and move on to other issues. Judging by the 13 change.org petitions I received today asking 13 diferent Boy Scout councils to change their policies … people aren’t even being strategic about it. I mean, let’s let the decision actually be made before we start pummeling the councils. How awesome would it be if they made the decision to change their policies on their own? Or had a chance to do so? Or if people living in their regions signed petitions?

I’m not sure what the best approach is at this point, but I am somewhat sure that the right wing is not going to take this without a fight. The young men will continue to be fodder in the so-called culture wars and that’s what we might want to focus on right now.

So I asked our resident expert, contributor Jen Tyrrell and she is issuing a call to action for us to all get involved.

Call the Boy Scouts’ national office at 972-580-2330 and tell them you hope they’ll vote yes on allowing gay scouts and leaders. When you call, the person who answers will ask if you support the proposed policy change. Just say “yes” and you’re done!

I am pleased that my Boy Scout affiliated friends on Facebook – from Pgh and beyond – seem to approve this alleged change and that makes me very happy.

Make those calls. The welfare of boys in our nation is more important than a chicken sandwich. Right?

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“Kill the Gays” Bill Faces Imminent Vote in Uganda

Uganda’s much promised “Kill the Gays” bill has made its way on to the legislative agenda with the sponsor urging the legislative body to pass this bill as a “Christmas gift” to the nation. 

The law will broaden the criminalization of same-sex relationships by dividing homosexuality into two categories; aggravated homosexuality and the offense of homosexuality.

‘Aggravated homosexuality’ is defined as gay acts committed by parents or authority figures, HIV-positive people, pedophiles and repeat offenders. If convicted, they will face the death penalty.

The ‘offense of homosexuality’ includes same-sex sexual acts or being in a gay relationship, and will be prosecuted by life imprisonment.

Originally put to government in 2009, the Anti-Homosexuality Bill had been temporarily shelved because of international criticism.

(h/t Gay Star News)

So understand this – under this bill, Ledcat and I would possibly receive life imprisonment. For being together. Many of our friends who have children would face the death penalty.

This is clearly not good.

Let me please make something else crystal clear to you both as a message and a practical reality.

  • You spend money on a sandwich, waffle fries and milkshake at Chick-fil-A franchise near your home.
  • The franchise pays a licensing and other fees to the corporate offices.
  • The corporation donates money to the WinShape Foundation.
  • The WinShape Foundation makes a grant to the American Family Association and others.
  • Meanwhile, Congress considers a resolution condemning the above named legislation.
  • The AFA and others use their funding to lobby against the resolution.

That’s how it works. It doesn’t matter if 1/10 of a cent you spent ends up in the grant. It doesn’t matter how you rationalize and justify it. The line is clear. You most likely are on the side of the line that would not end up in jail. Or dead. Is it really worth it? Can you look me in the eye and explain this? Can you begin to imagine what would happen to people if this discussion, much less the legislation gains traction?

What does this mean?

I don’t want to wake up tomorrow and have to add “not going to be imprisoned for being gay” to my gratitude list.

 

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The Chick-fil-A Post

Over a two year period, Chick-fil-A donated $5 million to organizations that have clear-cut anti-gay agendas and/or promote and honor individuals who are avowedly anti-gay by honoring them with awards, etc.

Let’s be clear. These organizations have anti-gay agendas. They lobby against our rights – they fight hate crimes bills, they fight bullying programs, they fight legislation that protects our jobs, etc. And they do so by using stereotypes and rhetoric that feeds hate.

Chick-fil-A’s corporate foundation, The WinShape Foundation, has funded these activities to the tune of more than $5 million. That’s not chump change.

It is discrimination. Supporting organizations with a hate agenda is discrimination. You can argue until the end of time that the company complies with anti-discrimination laws so they aren’t discriminating. But trying overturn those laws with profits from your business is discrimination.

And the best way to counter misinformation/disinformation is to spread the simple truth – Chick-fil-A funds anti-gay discrimination. There is a clear FACTUAL connection between the company and that statement. You can deny it or parse it, but you cannot IMHO say you are an ally to the LGBTQ community and support this company.

People are spewing all sorts of misinformation to the media. So let me share a few of my opinions.

  • This is not about same sex marriage and I could scream when people bring that up since it just polarized the hell out of folks. No reasonable person (and more gay people) aren’t concerned if Dan Cathy is opposed to same sex marriage. Yes, the donations his family and corporate foundation are making fund efforts to undermine our freedom to marry, but there are far bigger issues here
  • It is sad to hand any child a sign that says “I support traditional marriage” … or “God Hates Fags” or “Abortion Stops a Beating Heart”  … children do not understand what these statements mean. Because they are children. And I agree a child should not hold a sign that makes sweeping generalizations the other way … no “I support same sex marriage” signs either.  If you are including your child in a political statement, please make sure you respect their age enough to not force your views upon them. It is disgusting and looks like you are running a cult.
  • The Mayors and Alderman need to shut up and focus on their jobs – like creating jobs and protecting all of from being fired from our jobs due to our gender, disability, race, etc. Here in Pittsburgh, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has a half-dozen actions he could focus on that would actually improve the lives of LGBT City residents and employees. They aren’t sexy or headline garnering — well, some are, but I don’t see anyone having those conversations.
  • Journalists failure to include accurate information about “free speech” in their reporting is self-defeating.

There’s an important Pennsylvania note that I will explore more in a separate post. Suffice it to say that when the story broke several years ago, I found a troubling pattern between these players and Cranberry Township. So I wasn’t the least bit surprised that most of the media attention was on the Cranberry Township Chick-fil-A.  In fact, I have a strong suspicion that someone made sure that happened. And I did not see a single reporter mention that residents of Cranberry Township and those who work there have no job protections. What a missed element of context.

Finally, I do believe that the best way to counter hate speech is more speech. Time has proven that to be the case. So I can understand that countering “hate days of appreciation” with “allies days of appreciation” has a certain logic. But I’m probably not going to go to Starbucks on Tuesday because I don’t want to be in another media feeding frenzy. And I worry that it sets a precedent that investing our money in corporate allies trumps the equal need to invest our money in the small, local businesses who also ally themselves with us. It could become a slippery slope and I’m a little uncomfortable with that.

This afternoon, we went to a local restaurant for brunch – she employs 46 local folks, including several LGBTQ individuals. She is very committed to being a Christian, but she simply does not abide with homophobia. I’ll probably elaborate on that in another post. But I’d rather spend my money with her to encourage her to continue hiring our sisters and brothers, supporting our projects and doing good works in general – as well as very vocally carrying a pro-LTBGQ perspective back to the church.

And, man oh man, her friend chicken is absolutely heavenly …

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