Eliot Spitzer, the former New York Governor and Attorney General who made his name battling Wall Street, says Americans concerned about equal rights for LGBT people and equality in general should boycott Chick-Fil-A, the Christian fast food giant that has donated $5 million to anti-gay hate groups and organizations that work to derail same-sex marriage.
“If you really don’t think gays and lesbians should have the same rights as everyone else, and you oppose same-sex marriage, stop by Chick-fil-A. If you truly believe gays and lesbians should be second-class citizens, and if you sincerely don’t want them to marry the people they love, stop by Chick-fil-A,” Spitzer writes in an op-ed at Slate:
But the same goes for those of us who support same-sex marriage and have what we consider to be a broader view of civil rights. We should boycott Chick-fil-A. These are our consumer dollars—and they’re part of our voice. We should use them for products we like—to supportcompanies we like and to back causes we like.
As good as those Chick-fil-A lunches used to taste, there are other places to get a chicken sandwich.
It’s important to remember – and to share with your friends and family and co-workers and neighbors — that Chick-Fil-A isn’t just a $4.5 billion chicken restaurant that likes the Bible. They have donated $5 million to help stop same-sex couples from marrying. Their president, Dan Cathy, has said the gay people and our supporters have a “a prideful, arrogant attitude” by thinking same-sex marriage should exist. Dan Cathy has also called same-sex marriage “twisted up kind of stuff,” and suggests it comes from a “deprived mind.”
For all those who say its his right to say these things, yes, supposedly, it is. But its America’s right to vote with their feet and take their business elsewhere. It’s also America’s right to not license a business that discriminates against people.
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<div id="idc-comment-msg-div-410253376" class="idc-message"><a class="idc-close" title="Click to Close Message" href="javascript: IDC.ui.close_message(410253376)"><span>Close Message</span> Comment posted. <p class="idc-nomargin"><a class="idc-share-facebook" target="_new" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fthenewcivilrightsmovement.com%2Feliot-spitzer-boycott-chick-fil-a%2Fpolitics%2F2012%2F07%2F26%2F44663%23idc-container#IDComment410253376&t=I%20just%20commented%20on%20Eliot%20Spitzer%3A%20Boycott%20Chick-Fil-A%20%7C%20The%20New%20Civil%20Rights%20Movement" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="idc-share-inner"><span>Share on Facebook</span></span> or <a href="javascript: IDC.ui.close_message(410253376)">Close MessageBoycott might work but I'm betting a reverse boycott would work even better. If you boycott, you're probably going to be outnumbered during lunch rush, there may be a counter protest (Fred Phelps crowd or copycats) and somebody may call the police on you. Now think about this: the Christian Taliban are cowards and they persecute only when they have a numerical advantage. Their big pro Chick Fil A meetup is next Wednesday, right? Well two Wednesdays from that, busloads of LGBT people and LGBT supporters could go to Chick Fil A as customers. Fill a lot of booths, stay a long time, order nothing more than diet cokes, and be very loud and affectionate toward each other– loud enough to drown out the Soft Christian Rock music they play there and affectionate enough to make all the customers that are homophobic run for the exits. Then come back every Saturday for six months and do it again. If Chick Fil A gets a reputation as the restaurant where "those LGBT people" hang out, the Christian Taliban will have to find another clubhouse.
The Quail That Got Away (from Cheney)
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