Thursday, Februrary 10, 2011 » Early last month, fast-food chain Chick-fil-A, known for promoting Christian values, was deemed �anti- gay� by bloggers because of its support of a pro-Biblical marriage conference. Most of the controversy surrounding the support is due to the fact that the conference is held by an �antigay, anti- marriage equality group,� the Pennsylvania Family Institute, according to Advocate.com.
As a result, Indiana University South Bend suspended Chick-fil-A from its campus dining. Plus, several anti-Chick- fil-A Facebook groups have popped up, urging people to boycott the restaurant.
Ridiculous.
I am in favor of equal marriage rights, but I think this has been taken a step too far. This isn�t an issue of gay rights; people just want to stir contention.
Let�s work through this backward: Chick-fil-A is a fast-food chain. It sells chicken and waffle fries. Sometimes it caters events. Sometimes those events are on-campus concerts like Spotted Cow. Sometimes those events are pro-Biblical marriage conferences.
I say �pro-Biblical marriage� not �anti-gay marriage,� because if you watch the �The Art of Marriage� trailer (yes, the conference has a trailer), nothing in it says or hints at being against gay marriage. Instead, the agenda of the conference seems to be for strengthening marriages and encouraging fidelity.
I�m OK with a fast-food chain catering events. No matter what my views on gay rights are, I�m always OK with people and organizations supporting fidelity in marriage. And, more fundamentally, I�m OK with fast-food restaurants serving food, because that�s what they�re supposed to do.
We need to remember that a for-profit company�s primary goal is to sell a product to make money. Chick-fil-A is not set on making a political stance; it�s set on selling chicken. How do I know? CEO Dan Cathy, son of 2011 Indiana Wesleyan University World Changer Truett Cathy, said the company�s donation to the conference was not meant to be a political endorsement, according to Yahoo news.
I believe we need to hold companies accountable for certain things � such as fair trade practices, fair wages for workers, etc. � but I don�t think that means we need to throw a fit over every supposed malpractice. There are more important things to deal with than a company supporting a pro-Biblical marriage conference.