This is what we mean when we say that anti-gay bigotry is no longer socially acceptable in nice places:
Focus St. Louis and the Clayton Chamber of Commerce said today that they are canceling a planned presentation by Dan Cathy, president and COO of Chick-fil-A, following complaints that Cathy and his company are involved with anti-gay organizations.
Chick-fil-A, which is known for promoting a company vision of Christian values, was enmeshed in a controversy earlier this year involving an independent Chick-fil-A operator in Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Family Institute, which is affiliated with the Family Resource Institute. The latter institute was recently designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center because of its anti-gay positions.
The decision to cancel Cathy’s March 18 presentation here was made after PROMO, a statewide organization that advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, protested his appearance and asked Focus and the Chamber of Commerce to reconsider.
Ellen Gale, the head of the chamber, said today that when the groups agreed to co-sponsor Cathy’s appearance, they had no idea he held controversial views.
Sometimes all you have to do is bring it to their attention. I’m always very cautious when protesting things like this planned speech, because very often, what you have is not a matter of discriminatory beliefs or activities, but rather oversight. In this case, once the Clayton Chamber knew what kind of unsavory activities Cathy and the Chick-Fil-A corporate team have been involved in, they said “No thanks.”
Clayton, which is just outside the city of St. Louis, is one of the loveliest towns in the United States, for the record.
[h/t Joe]
Tolerance, love, and justice is not proven when one lacks power, is abused, and is losing the argument. It is proven in one’s behavior when one wins.
It is proven when a Jewish community with many holocaust survivors defends the right of the Klan to march down its streets.
A fast-food chain gives sandwiches to a mainstream religious group–and you think it best that the entire corporation be shut down. You make the Fundamentalist prohibitionists of the 1920′s look like libertarian extremists.
Please.
Uh.
Next time, LTL, read the words in the article, instead of the preconceived notions in your head.
No one said anything about “shutting down Chick-Fil-A.” Not once. Also, your idea that these are “mainstream religious groups” is hilariously stupid.
When will extremist Christian wingnuts learn that they are on the losing end of EVERY demographic available? Lord, 75% of the millenial generation says religion isn’t a big part of their lives AT ALL, and a full 30% are a-religious. The people Chick-Fil-A has been supporting are extremist wingnuts. They are 15-25% of the US population, at best, and their numbers are dying out, as their children, more and more, realize that the crap their parents and grandparents have been selling is unadulterated crap.
@ “lovetruthlove” – interesting. “But I think it high time we started listening to each other. When we do not–we tend to show ourselves as having the same kind of “win-at-all-costs,” “disingenuous,” and dishonest agendas as those you criticize.”
You made that statement on another article. And then you post something like “You make the Fundamentalist prohibitionists of the 1920’s look like libertarian extremists” on this article.
“Pennsylvania Family Institute, which is affiliated with the Family Resource Institute. The latter institute was recently designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center because of its anti-gay positions.” – i.e., this is NOT “a mainstream religious group.”
All Skokie Jews did NOT support the Klan rally – and some Holocaust survivor DID oppose the rally. The ACLU nonetheless did “the right thing,” just as the Supreme Court “did the right thing” re: Westboro Baptist. But that doesn’t make WBC a “mainstream religious group” anymore than any affiliate of the Family Resource Insitute.
Barrack binladen…I mean Obama, sucks. 14.3 trillion in debt. Yet people still support the community activist…I mean president. Lmfao. Idiots. Who cares about chick-fil-a when our debt is out of control. Really?? Get a life
It must be hard to live in the body of a person who can’t even spell the president’s name.