August 2, 2012
Commentary, Food, Politics, Religion

Here’s the thing about Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day

Here’s the thing about Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day. The turnout today is not an demonstration of traditional values. It’s an endorsement of bigotry. The fact is, if in 2012 your traditional values cannot accept same-sex marriage or homosexuality in general, then the traditions you value need an update. And today was not an expression of religious freedom. Because, again, if your religion cannot accept homosexuals, then your religion is flawed.

Let’s go back to the beginning of this whole Chick-fil-A foofaraw and replace the word “gay” with “black” or “Jew.” If Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy had spoke out against miscegenation — if he had said that interracial marriage was inviting “God’s judgment on our nation” — would there still have been a Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day? I doubt it.

So what’s the difference? Why is it acceptable for homosexuals to be the target of bigotry in this instance? Because of an obscure passage in an old book? Sorry, that’s not good enough.

Freedom of religion? Bullshit. This is bigotry, plain and simple. Check out this story about people turning out to support Chick-fil-A in recent days, saying things like “I’m so glad you don’t support the queers, I can eat in peace.”

Yea, glad are those who hate the queers, for they shall know peace.

And shame on opportunistic, attention-starved conservatives like Mike Huckabee, Michele Bachmann, and Sarah Palin — who value divisiveness over discourse — for exploiting the unfounded anxieties of our country’s small-minded, over-Bibled bigots that, sadly, still believe this garbage.

And that’s what is so troubling. Not only do so many people in this country still harbor these awful prejudices, but when given the opportunity they will celebrate them proudly. Bully for our freedom of speech, which allows you to so proudly proclaim your bigotry. No one can take that away from you, or any of us.

At the end of the day, Chick-fil-A still has a right to do business. Dan Cathy has a right to be a conservative homophobe. And people have a right to support them both. But don’t hide behind your Bible and don’t pretend this is some  great moral cause. It’s not. Because, honestly, you should be ashamed. You should feel small and petty. You should be embarrassed to hold such vileness in your heart. Just eat your goddamn chicken sandwich and shut the hell up.

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