A chicken sandwich is between one man and one woman

Chick-fil-A apparently doesn’t like gay people very much.

The evangelically-owned company was revealed to be a major sponsor to an anti-gay marriage conference in Pennsylvania, as well as being an overall sponsor of the organization. Members of IU-South Bend’s campus reacted by starting a grassroots movements that successfully kicked the Chick-fil-A off of the campus.

There is a campaign raging on the intertubes of Bloomington to kick Chick-fil-A, currently located in the basement of the Herman B Wells Library, off of Bloomington’s campus as well. A Facebook group called “Kick Chick-Fil-A off IUB’s Campus!” is active with more than 100 members, and a petition campaign on www.change.org has amassed close to 200 signatures.

Our columnists react to the controversy and propose alternatives.

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Chick-fil-A or Chick-fil-gay?
Chick-fil-A allegedly hates gay people (but still wants them to buy sandwiches). In response, students in Bloomington are attempting to get the company removed from the Cyber Cafe in the basement of the Herman B Wells Library.

What if we kicked all of the companies off campus that “we” (meaning the very few members of the campus community who actually care) don’t agree with? Sodexo, the company that manages food services in the Indiana Memorial Union, has come under fire for its low pay and lack of affordable health care options provided to its U.S. employees.  

Starbucks, another campus vendor, has been criticized for the near slave-like conditions of some of the workers who harvest its coffee beans. These issues are also very important to many students, yet you don’t hear the same backlash toward the companies listed above that Chick-fil-A is currently receiving.

If you simply cannot get over the fact that a company doesn’t have the same views that you do, don’t give them your business.

Keep in mind, though, that many major corporations have active political action committees. AT&T and Blue Cross and Blue Shield are major donors to Republican candidates around the nation, many of whom probably don’t support gay marriage, either.

Will you switch to a different service provider or drop your health insurance in protest?

Unlikely.

But if you want to stop going to Chick-fil-A, go for it. Besides its alleged hatred of all things homosexual, there are many other reasons not to patronize these restaurants: the food isn’t all that great (and it’s unhealthy), the location on campus is somewhat obscure and the “Chick-fil-A cow” is creepy, among others.

And, it’s not like Chick-fil-A ever made any attempt to obscure its Christian viewpoints to begin with. It’s pretty hard to miss the religious overtones of the company’s operations: its locations are not open Sundays so workers can rest, enjoy time with their families and worship, and potential employees are asked questions about religious beliefs and marital status in job interviews. The place has even been nicknamed “Jesus Chicken.”

It would be impossible to make sure that all companies providing services to our campus pass some arbitrary test of approved operational practices. Instead of raising hell and starting a virtual petition (with 191 signatures as of Monday) that will probably be glanced at by University administrators and then disregarded, let’s put our money where our mouths are — if you disapprove of Chick-fil-A’s views, don’t go there.

You’ll be thinner and gay-friendlier for it.


E-mail: biglehar@indiana.edu


Suitable Subsitutes
Bloomington, I am torn. Inside my soul rages a battle so fierce that it is tearing me apart. I toss and turn at night wondering how to resolve the struggle within my very essence.

In light of the recent revelation of Chick-fil-A’s anti-gay agenda, can I support the ever-so-tasty food franchise?

In the words of R. Kelly: “My mind’s telling me no, but my body, my body is telling me yes.”

While I cannot condone Chick-fil-A’s choice of charities, I know I will miss the hot, juicy and readily available food they provide.

What should I do? Should I compromise my ethics for the sake of my stomach? Should I really believe Chick-fil-A has ruined its legacy? Should I tell you I’m a chicken sandwich chaser? Or maybe Chick-fil-A should just disappear?

At the end of the day, the students at IU-South Bend have it right. I guess I can’t bring myself to undermine my personal beliefs for the sake of an easy lunch at the library. Chick-fil-A has been peddling prejudice and homophobia while bringing us our chicken sandwiches and our waffle fries. Unforgivable.

Let’s all just hope there’s no secret agenda behind Taco Bell.


E-mail: smmech@indiana.edu


Eating worse for the gays
In light of Chick-fil-A’s recent eradication from IU-South Bend, I know IU-Bloomington will follow suit. So now I feel it is the best time to put forth my nomination for Taco Bell to replace Chick-fil-A’s potentially soon-to-be-empty space under Herman B Wells Library.

I don’t know about you, but I feel much more comfortable eating questionable 36 percent meat than a sandwich branded by known homophobes.

It is a tremendous ordeal for a well-known franchise to face the heat for the support of bigotry, and I am willing to eat mystery tacos and chalupas to support the cause, no matter what deformity I may start to develop in my 40s.

Of course, we can probably rest assured that “not so meaty” meat is as unlikely to turn us into zombies as the Swine Flu shot was, but I would much rather take that risk than eat a sandwich from the hands of anti-gays.


E-mail: aymatz@indiana.edu