Chick-Fil-A Gets Unlikely Champion In ACLU After Boston, Chicago Ban Chicken Joint
Chick-Fil-A has polarized the blogosphere in recent days with their decision to speak out again against gay marriage, possibly lie about why Muppets toys were subsequently removed (after CEO Lisa Henson said she could not work with the company due to their position on same-sex unions), and then possibly astroturf Facebook to anecdotally support their claim that Muppets toys were recalled for safety reasons.
That story was quickly followed by reports that the cities of first Boston and then Chicago were banning Chick-Fil-A, for the most part, due to what many view as an official policy of homophobia, deepening the rift between those who stand with the company for its anti-gay stance and those who believe sanctions against the company are warranted because of their stance on gay rights.
In many respects, the Chick-Fil-A controversy is a standard, polarized left-right debate. Many would call it another “culture war” battle, in which conservative, God-fearing Americans stand against lefty, liberal togetherness huggers like the ACLU… except, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) has thrown down for Chick-Fil-A in this particular melee.
The problem, as the ACLU sees it, is an official position on the parts of Boston and Chicago to exclude the company due to their position on gay rights.
Interesting perspective from Mother Jones and the ACLU RT @MotherJones In Defense of Chick-Fil-A bit.ly/Qe2Zgq
— Elliott H (@phone_home) July 26, 2012
According to ACLU attorneys, the cities’ decisions not entirely legal and somewhat ironically, are a form of discrimination — “viewpoint discrimination”:
“The government can regulate discrimination in employment or against customers, but what the government cannot do is to punish someone for their words… When an alderman refuses to allow a business to open because its owner has expressed a viewpoint the government disagrees with, the government is practicing viewpoint discrimination.”
Chick-Fil-A makes Cracker Barrel look like the ACLU.
— Robert Shields (@rshields37) July 24, 2012
Schwartz continues:
“We don’t think the government should exclude Chick-fil-A because of the anti-LGBT message. We believe this is clear cut.”
Do you think Chick-Fil-A is being discriminated against for their anti-gay views?
