Simple answers to the questions about the Chick-Fil-A boycott

 An online buddy of mine, Rusty McMann, has assembled some simple answers to the questions about the gay community's anger at Chick-Fil-A, as well as why we are boycotting the restaurant.

This is necessary because while there have been so many television stations, newspapers, pundits, and columnists who have weighed in on the controversy, very few are trying to get the full story:

Simple answers to difficult questions about the Chick-Fil-A boycott

Q.  Why are the gays making such a big deal out of this?  Aren’t we all entitled to our own opinions?

A.  Well the first thing you need to know is that there is no "the gays."  Gay Americans don’t speak in a unified voice any more than all straight Americans, or all African-Americans, or all left-handed Americans.

Q.  OK  fine.  So what’s the big deal and why are *so many* of gays so upset that Dan Cathy is against gay marriage?

A.  Dan Cathy is perfectly entitled to his opinion about marriage equality or anything else.  That’s not what has so many people upset.  The reason we are boycotting Chick-fil-A is because the CFA Corporation, through its charitable arm The WinShape Foundation, has donated almost 4 million dollars to organizations and causes that are dedicated to doing harm to gay men and lesbians – not just here in the US, but around the world.

Q.  Oh, come on.  The WinShape foundation is about leadership training and strengthening families.

A.  While it is true that the WinShape foundation has a number of admirable programs for at-risk youth, it would also appear that WinShape believes that “curing” homosexuality (a concept that is roundly rejected by the scientific community) and preventing same-sex couples from being legally married is something that trains leaders and makes families stronger – because they give A LOT of money to foundations and advocacy groups that are hostile to the LBGT people.

In the year 2010 alone, WinShape donated nearly 2 million dollars to groups with anti-gay agendas:

$1,188,380 to the Marriage & Family Foundation (founded by Bubba Cathy (Dan’s Brother) the MFA provides funding to organizations that preach that the American family is threatened by the proliferation of same-sex couples )  

$480,000 to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (dedicated to “curing” gay athletes);

$247,500 to the National Christian Foundation (is a grant-making foundation that has provides money to anti-gay groups like Focus on the Family, Family Life, and the Family Research Council);

$54,000 to the New Mexico Christian Foundation (the New Mexico branch of the NCF);

$1,000 to the Family Research Council (which has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center because of the provable falsehoods it spreads about gay men and lesbians);

$2,500 to the Georgia Research Council (which lobbies against marriage equality, both in Georgia and around the US); and

$1,000 to Exodus International, an organization dedicated to “curing homosexuality” and whose board member  Don Schmierer had a hand in the creation of  a bill in Uganda that could "punish homosexuality" with death .

So every chicken sandwich and waffle fry you purchase helps to fund one of those organizations.  


Q.  How do I know all this stuff you’re saying is true?

A.  Don’t take our word for it; it’s a matter of public record.  All charities have to file documents with the IRS and most State Attorney Generals, so you can look it all up yourself.  

Q.  But isn’t that their right, to do whatever they want with their money?

A.  Of course it is.  But it’s also my right to spend my money how I see fit and you might want to do the same.  Personally, I don’t want to spend my money at a business whose profits go to taking other people’s rights away.  And you might not either; we thought you might like to know what your lunch money is helping to fund.

Q.  But what about freedom of speech and freedom of religion?  Aren’t you trying to take his rights away the way you claim he’s trying to take yours?

A.  Actually no.  First of all, we’re not trying to shut him up or change the way he worships.  But when the Constitution mentions freedom of speech and freedom of religion it says that the GOVERNMENT can’t step in and stop you from talking (or spending your money) and the same with religion.  Citizens of the original 13 colonies had no choice but to worship in and pay tribute to the Church of England – the constitution guarantees that there will not be a state-mandated religion.  Neither of those things mean that we don’t have to be held responsible for what we say or do.

As far as I am concerned (and I am only speaking for myself - Alvin McEwen, the man behind this blog), the point of the boycott is not to shut down Chick-Fil-A or even put the company out business.

The point is bring attention as to how Chick-Fil-A has unfortunately helped to harm gay equality while falsely  pleading religious ennui. And how easy it is for groups and individuals  to demonize gays and fund the efforts of those who would seek to stamp out our equality by pulling the  the "I am only expressing my personal religious beliefs" card.

If the expression of your personal religious beliefs entails the destruction of someone else's freedom, then perhaps it's time to  rethink how you express your religious beliefs.

Related post - What Chick-Fil-A's money supports - a video montage of homophobia

Editor's note - If you feel this information is timely and accurate, then please send it to your friends, allies, enemies, and especially those in the media.