NyPo has the story:
Like many people, Josh Hune loves the succulent taste of Chick-fil-A menu item No. 1, the classic chicken sandwich. Like far fewer fans, Hune also happens to be gay.Good for these guys. They don't need to be the world's thought police. If they are happy exchanging $7.00 for a Chick-fil-A meal, then they should go for it. The sandwiches really are good.
That made it a bit complicated when the fried-chicken chain’s president, Dan Cathy, admitted he was “guilty as charged” for vehemently opposing same-sex marriage and overseeing the donation of millions of dollars to anti-gay causes in June 2012. When Cathy’s comments sparked a media firestorm, Hune resisted his favorite sammie for a few days before giving in and devouring one at the Chick-fil-A outlet at NYU, where he was a student.
Josh Hune was ostracized by a fellow gay man for not boycotting Chick-fil-A, which offers a taste of home.
The move infuriated one of his friends, who was leading a petition to have the chain removed from the dining hall.
“He told me I was the worst gay in NYC,” says Hune, 23. “But I personally don’t think my money or my going there is me saying I hate gays as well. I don’t think about it like that $7 is going to some foundation to stop gay marriage. For me, it’s just food.”
It’s a dirty little secret that in New York, Hune is far from alone. For many members of the LGBT community, the first time they came out, it was to tell the world they were gay. The second time, it was to tell the world they love Chick-fil-A.
And now that the Georgia-based chain is entering the NYC market in a big way, gay Chick-fil-A fanatics are facing a serious dilemma.
The company announced last month that for the first time it will expand into the city with stand-alone locations. By the end of 2014, the country will have 108 new Chick-fil-A locations, “a good chunk of them” in New York City, according to a report in USA Today.
Chick-fil-A has always displayed its Christian roots with pride, closing its doors every Sunday in observance of the biblical day of rest. But Cathy’s comments — “I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about,” among them — brought intense scrutiny to the firm’s history of supporting and donating millions to anti-gay groups, including the Family Research Council and the now-defunct Exodus International, which supported conversion therapy.
But despite the company’s controversial beliefs, some gay New Yorkers are salivating over the chance to get their hands on that iconic chicken sandwich — a savory, juicy fillet with crisp dill pickles on a buttered bun...
Hune, now a bartender living in Hell’s Kitchen, is from Texas. He calls the chicken sandwich “the Cadillac of chicken” and says it provided solace away from home while he attended school.
“If I was having a rough day, it would calm me down,” he says. “It’s comfort food.”
Still, being gay and admitting to patronizing Chick-fil-A is like working at Vogue and wearing Crocs.
“I have a healthy fear of the gay mafia,” says William, a gay 26-year-old digital strategist living in Hell’s Kitchen who asked that his last name not be used due to anxiety over backlash to his choice. “But the crispy chicken is orgasmic. This sounds terrible because it’s fast food, but it’s the most tender chicken I’ve ever had.”
For David Lopez, a 47-year-old hospitality consultant who identifies as gay, it’s all about the health factor compared to other fast-food options: “I was aware [of the history], but I definitely wanted to try it because I heard that [they used] fresh ingredients,” says the Bronx resident. “I’m not overly political.”...Bushwick resident Robert Brigman, a 26-year-old concierge, fell for the food growing up in Tennessee and echoes Peppermint’s sentiment. The Republican-leaning gay man doesn’t think a business deserves to be boycotted over one man’s viewpoint.
“I could care less about Chick-fil-A making a stance,” he says. “They are allowed to have that opinion, and I’m allowed to have mine.”
Exchange is generally about what two sides have in common and not other issues. $7.00 for a damn good sandwich seems like a good trade to me. It's the only fast food that I eat---but to each his own.
It won't be long before the left is in a war with itself. You would have thought they would have learned from the Republican's but as we know history repeats itself often. When you start telling people what they are allowed to think to be an "acceptable" member of your group, it doesn't take long before the beast is at war with itself.
ReplyDeleteIt's only okay to tell people what to do when it's from a Conservative Christian standpoint.
DeleteNo, Gil, it's not. You're being cheeky to make a point which fails on this website. Maybe you think you're on a XTian Conservative website? You're not. Most of us are libertarians. We're not Republicans. Many of us are not Christians. (I identify as an atheist.)
DeleteI read the whole article, and all I an remember is "$7.00 for a Chick-fil-A meal". Fuuuuuuuk, this should be included in the "There is No Inflation" report.
ReplyDeletePanera Bread meals with a whole sandwich go for over $9.
DeleteWhat would Tucker do?
ReplyDeleteChikFilA is awesome. They have all other beat by miles. I find Cathey's comments ignorant, but don't care. Plus, my local CFA has a couple of gay employees who love working there. They pay well (for fast food) and take good care of employees. Not every member of "my tribe" is a PC lefty- many of us are starting to recognize the benefit of a Rothbardian society!
ReplyDelete@Gil
ReplyDelete"It's only okay to tell people what to do when it's from a Conservative Christian standpoint"
It's always Ok to tell people what to do from any point of view. It's not ok to force them. Quite different..
Conservatives are in control of the thought-police?
Surely you jest..
They run the asylum.