“The president of Chick-fil-A, the fast food chain with more than 1,600 restaurants and $4 billion in revenue, has come out against same-sex marriage.” –The Lookout, Yahoo
We’re tempted to say, So what? After all, it’s President and COO Dan Cathy’s business if he wants to lose business by making controversial remarks certain to upset customers (and, no doubt, some franchisees). He might well have said he embraces gay marriage. The reaction, we bet, would likely have been the same.
But Cathy, a devout Christian and a social conservative, declared in a radio interview that same-sex marriage is wrong and, further, that “. . . 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.’”
Sure, it’s an over-the-top statement for the leader of a company that depends on public acceptance of its brand for survival. But where other execs may think it, Cathy simply blurts it out.
In a way, good for him. Note: We’re hardly endorsing his viewpoint.
We’re having trouble, however, understanding the reaction to it – especially in Chicago where Alderman Procco “Joe” Moreno has said he will not allow a Chick-fil-A restaurant to open in his ward — a trendy, gay-heavy area — despite the fact the chain has already obtained zoning and had been working with the alderman several months, the Chicago Tribune reported.
During that period, Moreno also discussed the issue of gay rights, in light of reports that the Cathy family’s WinShape Foundation had supported anti-gay organizations, the alderman said.
Apparently, company executives had assured him that the Chick-fil-A unit would not discriminate against gays or transgender people. Then came the radio interview.
Cathy’s remark must have seemed like a taunt to Moreno, who the paper reported also blocked a Wal-Mart from opening in his ward last year. Maybe it was. To be sure, Cathy doesn’t regret making the statement.
But, come on, folks. In the name of free enterprise, allow the restaurant to open and let customers vote with their cash and credit cards. Whatever Cathy thinks about marriage and the efforts he’s making to stop gay marriage — however repugnant — don’t warrant abridging his right (or his franchisee’s) to make a buck selling fried chicken sandwiches and french fries to anyone who enters the door — as long as it is to anyone.
