Long lines and pickets at Hollywood Chick-Fil-A

Timothy Kincaid

August 1st, 2012

There aren’t many Chick-Fil-A locations in Los Angeles, so this one in Hollywood was the center for the Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day. I forwent my delightful Healthy Choice frozen meal (I wasn’t in the mood for “Country Breaded Chicken”) and went to see how things were going.

This was the view from the corner:

 

And anti-gays were lined up to show their animosity to equality. The drive-through line snaked through the parking lot and down the street. The man in the first truck in this picture drove in from Sylmar, about 18 miles away.

The woman on the corner seat straddling the post had just finished giving some sort of interview to the man in the plaid shirt. She works for a non-profit that helps out the homeless and hungry. I didn’t catch its name.

More jolly Chick-Fil-A patrons.

And a few more. There were far more drive-through customers than sit-down patrons.

For the most part it was a quiet ordeal. No furious ranting, no Bible waving, no screaming. The two fellows here on the left in the blue and taupe, however, argued the entire time I was there. Something about economic policy. I couldn’t figure out which was there to support whom but they certainly were enjoying themselves.


I left and swung by Jack in the Box for something called an All American Combo. It was delicious, but I don’t think my system was ready for two jumbo patties, 1,359 calories, and 80 grams of fat. I guess that means celery for dinner.

Andrew

August 1st, 2012

Oh, Tim… somewhere your future cardiologist is saying “thanks” :)

Well, all good things in moderation.

I think today’s a great day for something called an American Combo. Maybe they should call it the Real American Combo.

OK, I’m going to slink off to the kitchen to grab my 300 calorie Trader Joe’s salad. Please please please tell me TJ hasn’t been siding with the goon squad. I love my Chinese Chicken.

Timothy Kincaid

August 1st, 2012

Oddly enough, during my check-up last year my doctor told me that i had surprising cholesterol levels for someone my age (which will remain unstated). I don’t remember the numbers (I’m sure they are in a file somewhere) but he said they were ideal.

I celebrated with a cheeseburger.

As for Trader Joes… well, they are waaaay too hippy-dippy, wear a Hawaiian shirt to work, we use no plastic bags, granola crunchy to be anything but supportive. I mean, c’mon, can you imagine a ‘protect the family’ type chowing down on vegan pasta and two-buck chuck?

Ryan

August 1st, 2012

Very disheartening. We laugh at NOM’s feeble attempts to get protest or boycotts going, but this is a sober reminder that much of the country (in liberal Hollywood no less!) thinks very little of us.

Andrew

August 1st, 2012

Tim – congrats on the great blood chemistry. It’s important to know that regardless of whatever’s going wrong on the outside (not that you aren’t buffed and beautiful), as long as the chem on the inside is working, don’t change a thing.

Incidentally, that’s how I celebrated giving up my 3 week experiment with vegetarianism. I know just what you mean.

TJ’s may be hippy, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t corporate masters who haven’t figured out a way to take money from the hipsters and redirect it to the nefarious causes of their choice. I’d doubt it, but I’ve been wrong before.

Ryan – people don’t like being told what to eat. If they did, there wouldn’t BE any fast food restaurants. That’s why the calls against CFA are a bad idea, and why you won’t see successful boycotts of most anything.

Plus, I think Bloomberg’s statements on this earlier last week were spot on.

Ryan

August 1st, 2012

Andrew, the idea that this is about “freedom to eat” is laughable. No one has told anyone else what to eat. Please step away from the right wing PR spin machine. This has literally nothing to do with freedom of speech or religion. This is “Fuck you, faggots”, with a smile.

Charles

August 1st, 2012

This got out-of-hand when the mayors of Chicago and Boston over-stepped the boundary with government involvement, when they both said that Chick-fil-A franchises weren’t welcome in their cities. I see it as a freedom of speech issue. You have to remember that it wasn’t too long ago that Obama was against gay marriage.

Gene in L.A.

August 1st, 2012

I love that there’s a boycott. The question isn’t how well Chick-Fil-A does on one special day, but how their sales fare over time. The boycott will work. I don’t agree with barring the company from opening new locations; such restriction does us all harm. They have the right to conduct business, and we have the right to take our money elsewhere if they disrespect us.

Timothy Kincaid

August 1st, 2012

Gene,

there is no formal boycott.

Andrew

August 1st, 2012

Ryan, maybe it is, and maybe it’s not. I don’t know, I’m not there. I know plenty of people that would take this is as a “fuck off and leave me alone” issue. Plenty more see may see it as a beloved institution being attacked for something they don’t care about. I’d say about 90% of hetero’s would pick chicken over engaging in a fight over gay rights. It’s because people prefer food to someone else’s fight. And that is the core of our problem – to 90% of the country, gay rights are SEP (someone else’s problem). As in “we got ours, what are you crying about”. It requires a lot of work and time to move the needle in cases like that. And, realism. You want the fat dumb and happy middle on your side? Buy them dinner.

Charles, I happen to agree. First Amendment issues come first – without that framework, we’re all vulnerable.

Gene, I totally agree, although (already said) there is no boycott – that’s the beauty here. They’re acting defensively, which is very big. But… try approaching the local franchisee and see if you can get him to take OUR side, like in NH. Nothing says “fk you” to HQ like lost revenue, but the symbolism of franchisees turning on corporate has great symbolic value, and makes headlines :)

Ezam

August 1st, 2012

I think if politicians and the media made this less about opinions on gay marriage and more about contributions to groups that harm LGBTs, as well as their questionable employment ethics, the general public would be less forgiving to CFA.

Chuck

August 1st, 2012

I really don’t want the marriage equality movement to be remembered for being fought on the chicken sandwich front. Can we just ignore Chik-Fil-A?

cowboy

August 1st, 2012

What history has taught us: You can’t treat people unequally at a lunchcounter or riding in a bus.

What history will be: That picture of the Palins will be forever linked to this moment in civil-rights history.

You can fool yourself in thinking you are righteous but how can some people sleep at night? They have to eventually realize this is not about religious freedom but, rather, it is about supporting discrimination.

History will not be kind to these people.

Kithpine

August 2nd, 2012

Interesting thing sifting through the news, is quite a few LBGT supporters jumped on the Chik-Fil-A bus because of the “Need to show solidarity for freedom of speech.” So the question is how many people in these lines where there not to support “Biblical based marriage values” but instead to send a huge F-U to the over reaching mayors?

Ryan

August 2nd, 2012

Charles, I agree that the government should not be banning restaurants based on its owner’s political views. However, that was dumb grandstanding on those mayor’s parts. They have no legal authority to follow through. I agree, Andrew, that most are apathetic about social issues and just care about yummy food. But that does not apply to people who made it a point to show up at CFA today. Anyone who showed up today had one message only on their minds, and message received, Ms. Palin and Mr. Huckabee. There’s no moral difference between them and Tony Perkins and Porno Pete.

Ben from Oakland

August 2nd, 2012

[This comment is fraudulent and has been removed. It was not written by Ben from Oakland.]

Ben from Oakland

August 2nd, 2012

[This comment is fraudulent and has been removed. It was not written by Ben from Oakland.]

Timothy Kincaid

August 2nd, 2012

[This comment is fraudulent and has been removed. It was not written by Timothy Kincaid.]

Jim Burroway

August 2nd, 2012

[This comment is fraudulent and has been removed. It was not written by Jim Burroway.]

Jim Burroway

August 2nd, 2012

[This comment is fraudulent and has been removed. It was not written by Jim Burroway.]

Timothy Kincaid

August 2nd, 2012

[This comment is fraudulent and has been removed. It was not written by Timothy Kincaid.]

Ben from Oakland

August 2nd, 2012

[This comment is fraudulent and has been removed. It was not written by Ben from Oakland.]

Ben from Oakland

August 2nd, 2012

[This comment is fraudulent and has been removed. It was not written by Ben from Oakland.]

Ben from Oakland

August 2nd, 2012

[This comment is fraudulent and has been removed. It was not written by Ben from Oakland.]

Jim Burroway

August 2nd, 2012

[This comment is fraudulent and has been removed. It was not written by Jim Burroway.]

Jim Burroway

August 2nd, 2012

[This comment is fraudulent and has been removed. It was not written by Jim Burroway.]

Ryan

August 2nd, 2012

Um…Timothy and Jim have been hacked? And Ben from Oakland is a troll? That’s what I’m hoping is going on here.

Jim Burroway

August 2nd, 2012

[This comment is fraudulent and has been removed. It was not written by Jim Burroway.]

Ryan

August 2nd, 2012

No, hacking people’s accounts in the middle of the night and calling gay people pedophiles is exactly the sort of behavior I would expect from people like you. Congrats on being such a great “Christian”.

Jess

August 2nd, 2012

Something is going on here, this is NOT how you wo talk usually! This site has been hacked or something. Timothy does not talk like this and neither does Jim or Ben.
I repeat, something is going on here!

Jim Burroway

August 2nd, 2012

[This comment is fraudulent and has been removed. It was not written by Jim Burroway.]

Sandhorse

August 2nd, 2012

The fact that people knew something was amiss with Tim, Jim and Ben demonstrates the long term benefits of true integrity.

Congrats gentlemen.

JohnAGJ

August 2nd, 2012

Ryan: That’s not correct. I had more than one person who supports marriage equality apologetically tell me yesterday that they were going to Chik-fil-A because of a perceived threat to free speech rights. I was tempted to join them myself before those dumba** local politicos walked back their stupid remarks. They created this firestorm that brought out not only anti-gay bigots, but moderates as well who saw an attack on their rights by the left. It makes no difference whether it was true or not, that’s the perception that these locals created. Perhaps a valuable lesson has been learned and politicians even at the local level will guard their tongues more.

Ryan

August 2nd, 2012

John, the Right cries “freedom of speech” every time their speech is criticized. No one pro-equality went to CFA yesterday. Please.

Regan DuCasse

August 2nd, 2012

@Charles: I agree, the mayors were ham handed and didn’t think a better strategy through.
And now the issue is stuck on “free speech”, when it’s NOT.
These mayors, rather than threaten a ban, should have put Cathy’s OWN religious based gov’t enforcement of his religious beliefs out there. Show how hypocritical he is, for taking money and benefiting from the labors of gay people and calling it non discrimination, while privately harming gay people through much harsher discrimination that directly effects gay people.
The mayors were well within their powers, media exposure and ability to put Cathy’s behavior into the light of day, and go tell it on the mountain that Biblical marriage standards were no picnic for women.
Polygamy and marital rape were allowed in Biblical societies.

And most of all, Cathy is using Constitutional protections for himself, while denying the same for gay citizens.
But if his policies go beyond speech, and harm other people, then Cathy is wrong.

Charles

August 2nd, 2012

Reagan, the mayors became nanny state thugs when they said that CFA franchises were not allowed to be allowed by some extra legal means to locate in their cities.

I would agree that the public needs to be educated about the organizations Mr. Cathy is giving to are harmful to the GLBT community. Very few people know about these organizations and what they fully promote. Right now it looks like we are losing this battle with CFA because we are a bunch of whinny children who just want to shut someone up and run them out of business.

Charles

August 2nd, 2012

I am sorry to see that someone hacked Box Turtle Bulletin’s website.

JohnAGJ

August 2nd, 2012

Ryan: Believe what you will but you are wrong. I have no idea how many moderate or libertarian-minded folks who support SSM but felt their free speech rights were under assault by stupid local politicos actually participated in yesterday’s event, but I personally know a couple who did.

occono

August 2nd, 2012

Yeah, I know one. And I don’t follow him anymore.

Explain to me how you going to Chick-Fil-A is a free speech stance? That’s really necessary? Why can’t you just criticize the politicians directly, instead of showing support for the company, and what the real message motivating it is? Do you have the impression that all these people were there to scorn some mayors? I don’t think most of them even knew about any such fuss.

Horrible mindset.

occono

August 2nd, 2012

I think the mayors may have had some rationale: Chick-Fil-A has been sued for employment discrimination and has policies that will likely conflict with the employment laws of the states. But these lawsuits are pending, and the politicians statements weren’t focused on it, so their statements became completely about the reaction to Cathy’s interview, as far as I can tell. But I’m really not bothered to defend them.

But the idea that the best thing to do to is to go to CFA to retaliate against those politicians……

Ryan

August 2nd, 2012

Sorry John, no you don’t. And you gave yourself away with the NOM approved terminology “SSM”.

Jim Burroway

August 3rd, 2012

Ryan,

A lot of people write SSM as shorthand for same-sex marriage.

Reed

August 3rd, 2012

JohnAGJ – maybe my time line is wrong, but didn’t Huckabee announce this “Appreciation Day” BEFORE “those bad wicked big city mayors done tried to stomp all over the little people’s religious freedom?”

“SSM?” I don’t use it, myself. “Marrige equality” seems to be “the term.” Because “same-SEX marriage” just plays into the “it’s all about sex with those queers and those breeders game.”

In any case, it has much the same quaint, inaccurate quality as “sexual preference.”

Priya Lynn

August 3rd, 2012

Reed said ““SSM?” I don’t use it, myself. “Marrige equality” seems to be “the term.” Because “same-SEX marriage” just plays into the “it’s all about sex with those queers and those breeders game.””.

I sometimes use the term myself but in light of the issue Reed has raised I suggest those of us who sometimes use that term because we feel it is more explicit than “marriage equality” us the term “same gender marriage” instead.

Timothy Kincaid

August 3rd, 2012

While I try to not set a rule for myself but use the term that is the most accurate, my personal preference is “equality”. That’s the issue to me, not “marriage equality”, which (to me) suggests that some areas of equality are up for greater debate than others.

But when the context calls for it, I’ll use “same-sex marriage” (if, for example, a law bans marriage between people of the same sex) or “gay marriage” (if talking about what gets conservatives’ undies in a bunch).

I think it’s wiser than coming up with a rule to stick by (I’m not a big fan of strict rules, be they Biblical or politically correct).

Perhaps the funniest example of PC nonsense was when I was chatting with a friend about the movie Beautiful Thing. He was saying how impressed he was with “the African American girl” who sang Mama Cass songs. The movie is set in Britain.

JohnAGJ

August 3rd, 2012

Ryan: Well 2 of them are much older than I am so given the age difference perhaps you could make an issue out of it, but even so I think I happen to know my own brother and sister far better than most folks in this world. As for “SSM”, I’ve seen this used as a shorthand for “same-sex marriage” on any number of gay blogs for a few years now. Since when did it suddenly become verboten?

JohnAGJ

August 3rd, 2012

Reed: Beats me, I tend to ignore the Huckster. It wouldn’t surprise me given the man’s record on gay rights issues.

Ryan

August 4th, 2012

Reed, Huckabee announced “Chick-Fl-A Appreciation Day” on July 24th. At that point, the mayor of Boston was the only Mayor who had threatened free speech by exercising his own. I find it baffling that anyone would attempt to pretend that the other day was about anything other than antipathy to gay people. But the internet is a strange place. I guess if my own siblings had gone, I would struggle to find a way to justify it, too. Now, the dumb grandstanding mayors did for the first time actually give the anti-gays an actual good argument. You can’t ban a restaurant based on the owner’s political views. They overstepped. But Huckabee’s day wasn’t about that. His stated reason was “the hate speech and intolerant bigotry towards Chick-Fil-A”. It would’ve happened if the mayors had said nothing and everyone who went still would’ve gone, and those uncomfortable with being seen as anti-gay still would’ve mumbled platitudes about freedom of speech. I know this because this is hardly the first time something like this has happened. The “freedom of speech” thing gets hauled out every single time their speech is criticized. It’s as predictable as “if you’re so tolerant, why don’t you tolerate my intolerance”? As for “SSM”, I’ve never seen it anywhere but on anti-equality blogs. I’ve seen “same sex marriage” written out, but not the abbreviated “SSM” or “SSA” which I always theorized was because writing out an acronym would not force them to write the word “sex”.

occono

August 5th, 2012

^ Yes. The CFA Day wasn’t proposed over the Mayors. And the LGBT community’s boycott was not calling for it (at least not in any significant number), but I’ve seen people either believing or pretending like it was.

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