Free Republic

Judging from the oral arguments in the two gay marriage cases before the Supreme Court this week, it appears the federal Defense of Marriage Act will be ruled unconstitutional on federalism grounds, and that the court will punt on California's same-sex marriage law, effectively allowing every state to define marriage as it wishes.That is not good enough for the progressive movement. Progressives want marriage to be redefined in every state to include same-sex relationships. And they will not stop there, either. As the court was listening to oral arguments Wednesday, progressive blogger and former Pennsylvania State Democratic Committee member Chris...

Same-sex marriage is, by far, the most important issue of our generation - even more important than having others to pay for our free access to birth control. War, terrorism, and taxation are laughable matters compared to the tragedy of two or more men who are in LOVE being unable to commit to each other unless they have a government-issued license. Without a license, how could they demonstrate their LOVE to the rest of the public in front of Chick-Fil-As across the country? It is, after all, their right as human beings. The reactionary blowhards are predictably reacting to it...

SAN ANTONIO -- The battle for same-sex marriage equality took an interesting turn in San Antonio late Wednesday night as gay rights advocates ambushed a Chick-fil-A with signs and posters. More than two dozen Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) messages covered the windows of the fast food restaurant in the 1300 block of Austin Highway. Workers at the business weren't aware of the signs until they arrived for work Thursday morning. They had no comment. Some of the signs which were taped to the chicken franchise's window read, "Government can not dictate love," "Support love note hate," and "Your...

RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- Corey Braun, the operator-owner of a Chick-fil-A near Foothill and Day Creek boulevards, provided dozens of free entree tickets to gay marriage supporters at a demonstration. The fast-food chain came under fire from lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, or LGBT, groups last year after statements from the company's chief operating officer, Dan Cathy, voiced his opposition to same-sex marriage. Braun said Cathy's statements don't coincide with the company's policy on service to its customers. "There were a lot of things said over the past year," Braun said. "I wanted to show that Chick-fil-A doesn't discriminate against anybody....

It seems hard to believe, Jim Treacher wrote yesterday, "but once upon a time, there was a shooting the national news didn't want to talk about." That's because the shooting was at FRC. And although the gunman was a politically-motivated activist who stormed a building less than a mile from the White House, there's a reason most Americans have never heard of him. After years of insisting that conservatives were the hateful ones, the attack at FRC was an inconvenient storyline for a media bent on hiding where the real intolerance lies. The day after Floyd Corkins walked into our...

(AP) WASHINGTON - A man suspected of shooting and wounding a security guard in the lobby of a Christian lobbying group had been volunteering at a community center for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. A law enforcement official has identified the suspect arrested in Wednesday's shooting as Floyd Corkins II of Herndon, Va. Investigators were interviewing his neighbors.

My friends at Campus Reform are on top of it, as usual. They always expose the thin-skinned idiocy of campus liberals and give me lots of column fodder in the process. Thanks guys. The next round of waffle fries is on me. Campus Reform is reporting that Chick-fil-A, the popular fast food restaurant chain, has now been dubbed a "symbol of hate," by a professor at Eastern Illinois University (EIU). Lisa Moyer, who teaches in the Family Studies Department at EIU, apparently made the comment with a straight face, although some have suggested that the term "straight face" reinforces heterosexist...

Shane L. Windmeyer, a prominent LGBT activist and leader, "nervously" revealed to the public that he developed a friendship with Dan Cathy, the president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, despite their strongly opposing views on same-sex marriage. "I spent New Year's Eve at the red-blooded, all-American epicenter of college football: at the Chick-fil-A Bowl, next to Dan Cathy, as his personal guest. It was among the most unexpected moments of my life," Windmeyer begins in a blog for The Huffington Post published earlier this week. Windmeyer, the co-founder and executive director of Campus Pride, a leading national organization for...

Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy’s controversial comments on “biblical” marriage last summer and the uproar that followed didn’t dampen the Atlanta company’s annual sales. The fast food giant, the nation’s second-largest chicken chain, ended 2012 with $4.6 billion in sales — up 14 percent from $4.1 billion a year earlier. The company also opened 96 news stores, four more than the year before. ***** Advocates of a boycott and business experts said numbers don’t show the full picture. The unseen damage, they said, was to the company’s reputation and, potentially, to its ability to grow in cities with large gay populations...

The leader of a national gay-rights group says he’s coming out–as a friend of Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy. “I’ve gotten to know Dan, he’s gotten to know me. He’s shared concerns about young people, about Chick-fil-A being used for certain purposes,” Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride, told ABC News. SNIP In July, Equality Matters examined tax forms and found that in 2010 the restaurant chain had donated over $1.9 million to “anti-gay causes.” In September, the restaurant chain pledged to stop donating to anti-gay groups. Windmeyer says those donations stopped in 2011.

Pushing back against calls for greater gun control from some members in Congress, conservative groups have now launched a Chick-fil-A style 'Gun Appreciation Day' set to take place on January 19, 2013. According to US News and World Report: "If all goes according to plan, gun lovers will come out in droves on January 19 to support gun stores, gun ranges, and gun shows." "The national "Gun Appreciation Day," which is being launched by a coalition of conservative and gun rights groups, will take place a day before California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein is expected to introduce legislation for an...

Riley Gunnoe says business is booming at his tool store in St. Albans. He says it's because of a sign outside. Gunnoe told me he didn't know what was going to happen when he put this phrase on it, "If you are for Obama's policies, please keep your dumba$$ out of this store." Gunnoe says he didn't know what was going to happen when he put the sign up. "I didn't care. But it really has doubled my business since I put it up so I'm glad I did now!" Some people in the community say it makes them question...

Eating Papa John’s has gone political. More than 17,000 Facebook users plan to eat at the pizza chain on Friday to support the company’s founder and CEO, John Schnatter, who has said President Barack Obama’s health care reform law will cause prices to jump by 11 to 14 cents per pizza, and has said employee hours may be scaled back.

During Chick Fil A Day, while standing in line with my kids.....I started singing this song, and the rest of the people joined in. It was truly a blessed moment. I didn't record it, but wanted to share a GREAT rendition of it. I think tomorrow is going to be the same as that great turnout. I have great hope. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJNqep77vBw

Chick-fil-A has learned upholding traditional values is not just good for the soul; it’s also good for business. Since President Dan Cathy stirred up a firestorm of controversy and protests by daring to say in public that he supports traditional marriage, the fast food chain has enjoyed record sales and increased brand recognition. According to a report by USA Today, consumer use, visits, and ad awareness all rose measurably in the third quarter, despite widespread negative media coverage of Cathy’s remarks to the Baptist Press opposing same-sex “marriage.” A Sandelman and Associates survey of more than 30,000 fast-food shoppers in...

Terrorism charges filed in Family Research Council shootingBy Jordy Yager - 10/24/12 03:26 PM ET A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted a Virginia man on new terrorism charges for allegedly shooting a security guard at the Family Research Council (FRC) in Washington, D.C., this summer. The Justice Department is charging Floyd Lee Corkins, 28, with committing an act of terrorism while armed, attempted murder while armed, aggravated assault while armed and second-degree burglary while armed. The new charges are in addition to an indictment for possessing and transporting a firearm into D.C. for the purpose of committing a violent...

The students are showing their commitment to tolerance by having zero tolerance for moralities that are different from their own. What’s next? Vote the Muslim groups off campus because they don’t like gay marriage either?

A North Carolina university’s student government has voted to ban a Chick-fil-a restaurant on campus because the fast-food chain’s president is against gay marriage. Elon University’s Student Government Association voted 35-11 to ask its food vendor to find another restaurant to take its place, the Daily Advance reports.

Last Monday night was Chick-fil-A’s annual Daddy Daughter Date Night. I took my 7 year old daughter to enjoy the chicken, waffle fries, and time together. When we arrived at our local Chick-fil-A, the tables were set with fresh flowers, pink and blue place mats, pink table cloths, and red heart-shaped balloons. The place mats were printed with conversation starters such as, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and “Describe your favorite family vacation.” Chick-fil-A’s desire to promote strong families as one of its core values is unusual in a day of what seems to be...

Dan Cathy decided to make a PUBLIC statement to Mike Huckabee that, at the least, muddied the progress we had made with Chick-fil-A and, at the worst, contradicted the documents and promises Chick-fil-A made to me and the community earlier this month. Since Mr.Cathy made a PUBLIC statement, I am PUBLICLY asking him to confirm and support what I was told and shown by his company representatives. 1. For the FIRST TIME in the company’s history the company wrote and distributed a document to all of its employees titled, “Chick-fil-A: Who We Are” that guarantees that the company and its...

Sometimes there comes along an idea so wrongheaded that even Michael Bloomberg and the American Civil Liberties Union can't support it. So it was this summer, when the Democratic mayors of Boston and Chicago declared Chick-fil-A unwelcome in their cities because the mayors disagree with CEO Dan Cathy's support for "biblical marriage." New York Mayor Bloomberg called the threats "inappropriate." A spokesman for the Illinois ACLU suggested that they were unconstitutional to boot. Now the controversy is back, after a Chicago alderman announced that Chick-fil-A had agreed to stop supporting "antigay organizations." After two days of confusion, Mr. Cathy this...

A Chicago alderman says Chick-fil-A's president is publicly contradicting what company executives personally assured him for months -- that the fast-food chain is changing its stance on gay marriage -- and he asked the company Sunday to clarify. Alderman Joe Moreno made news last week when he announced Chick-fil-A has ceased making donations to anti-gay groups and has enacted workplace protections for its employees against discrimination. Moreno said the two concessions were the result of 10 months of negotiations he had with Chick-fil-A executives as he weighed whether to support a new Chick-fil-A restaurant in his Chicago ward. He said...

Chick-fil-A has cleared up rumors that it has revised its charitable donation policy to exclude "anti-gay" groups. The fast-food chain's president told Fox News host Mike Huckabee that it has not made any "concessions" and remains committed to strengthening families. "There continues to be erroneous implications in the media that Chick-fil-A changed our practices and priorities in order to obtain permission for a new restaurant in Chicago," Cathy told Huckabee. "That is incorrect. Chick-fil-A made no such concessions, and we remain true to who we are and who we have been." On Wednesday, Chicago Alderman Joe Moreno – along with...

ATLANTA (BP) -- Following reports that Chick-fil-A had agreed to stop funding certain traditional family groups in order to get approval for a new Chicago restaurant, company President Dan Cathy said Friday the restaurant made no concessions and "we remain true to who we are." Cathy's statement, posted on Mike Huckabee's website, came one day after the company released its own statement saying that its corporate giving has "been mischaracterized" for many months and that it will continue to fund programs that "strengthen and enrich marriages." Said Cathy, "There continues to be erroneous implications in the media that Chick-fil-A changed...

DALLAS — Until Wednesday, SMU’s SPECTRUM was planning on launching a 13-week boycott of the on-campus Chick-fil-A. As a member, I intended on participating in the boycott. However, on Wednesday morning, the company announced that it has stopped donating money to anti-gay hate groups, such as the Family Research Council and Exodus International. The donations were the cause of the LGBT community’s ire this summer. Chick-fil-A also issued a “Who We Are” internal memo declaring that its company tradition “is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect – regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender.”...

August was a busy month at Chick-fil-A headquarters in Atlanta, especially when it came to the topic of gay marriage. On Wednesday, a Chicago alderman had dropped his objections to the first standalone Chick-fil-A restaurant in his city, after the fast-food franchise persuaded him that it had withdrawn from the political battle over same-sex marriage. Several weeks of negotiations with Chick-fil-A executives had produced internal company guidelines that prohibit discrimination in hiring and customer service. Alderman Joe Moreno also said that, in August, executives of the family-held firm also opened the books of Chick-fil-A’s charitable foundation, to prove that it...

The successful business leaders that sit on the Chicago Board of Education must have checked their brains at the door when they went into the negotiating room with the teachers union. How else could they possibly negotiate a contract that the school district can’t possibly afford? Truth be told, if board member Penny Pritzker’s Hyatt Hotels operated that way, they’d be out of business. But, alas, this is government. They strike deals with unions and figure out how taxpayers will fund it later. Reuters tells us: “Chicago public school teachers returned to their classrooms on Wednesday but thorny questions remained...

This Wednesday, I reported that the media were falsely reporting that Chick-fil-A had decided to cease donations to “anti-gay” groups. Scores of so-called reputable news outlets like the Los Angeles Times and ABC News ran headlines declaring that Chick-fil-A had changed its policy toward giving to anti-gay groups. Yesterday, Chick-fil-A set the record straight, saying that their corporate giving has been “mischaracterized” and calling out “events from Chicago this week that have once again resulted in questions around our giving”: A part of our corporate commitment is to be responsible stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. Because...

This Wednesday, I reported that the media were falsely reporting that Chick-fil-A had decided to cease donations to “anti-gay� groups. Scores of so-called reputable news outlets like the Los Angeles Times and ABC News ran headlines declaring that Chick-fil-A had changed its policy toward giving to anti-gay groups. Yesterday, Chick-fil-A set the record straight, saying that their corporate giving has been “mischaracterized� and calling out “events from Chicago this week that have once again resulted in questions around our giving�: A part of our corporate commitment is to be responsible stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. Because of...

In response to media reports that Chick-fil-A has agreed to stop making charitable donations to groups like Focus on the Family, the company today released a statement to set the record straight. Contrary to reports first made by the gay-activist group The Civil Rights Agenda (TCRA) on Tuesday and later picked up by mainstream media outlets, Chick-fil-A and its charitable-giving arm, the WinShape Foundation, did not agree to stop making donations to groups that support the biblical definition of marriage in exchange for being allowed to open a franchise in Chicago. “For many months now, Chick-fil-A’s corporate giving has been...

All that support we gave them (setting a one-day sales record) and this is how they repay us? Caving in so they could open a single store in Chicago.Via Washington Times: Chick-fil-A stopped funding traditional-marriage groups in an effort to open a new Chicago restaurant, but the company initially kept quiet about the decision, prompting gay rights groups to speculate that the company feared a backlash from conservative customers.The Christian-rooted fast food restaurant agreed to stop funding groups such as Focus on the Family that oppose same-sex marriage in a meeting with the Chicago politician who had been blocking the...

(Associated Posers) - Chick-fil-A came to terms with Chicago aldermen and has come away making changes to it's founders stand for traditional marriage. The College Park, Georgia-based company says that it will no longer bar gay chickens from being used to make it's chicken sandwiches. "All of our tests have determined that gay chickens taste just like chicken" the company said in a press release cheered by homosexual activist groups. "Therefore there is no longer a policy against the use of gay chickens for our delicious meals". A month ago supporters of the chicken chain clogged roads to break sales...

“Gay” media organizations and the mainstream press have headlined over the last two days Chick-fil-A’s “change” that they claim means the company suddenly is promising not to discriminate against homosexuals – and that it would stop giving money to those organizations that promote traditional marriage. But it appears the facts are that the company’s anti-discrimination policy remains just as it was months ago .. and its donations appear to have had no new directive applied. It was a statement from The Civil Rights Agenda that prompted the recent headlines. The statement said of the Cathy family’s foundation, the WinShape Foundation,...

For many months now, Chick-fil-A’s corporate giving has been mischaracterized. And while our sincere intent has been to remain out of this political and social debate, events from Chicago this week have once again resulted in questions around our giving. For that reason, we want to provide some context and clarity around who we are, what we believe and our priorities in relation to corporate giving. For a better understanding of our corporate giving, please see the attached document titled “Chick-fil-A: Who We Are”. This is the same document provided and referred to in coverage surrounding Chicago http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Media/PDF/who-we-are.pdf

After enduring a major public-relations tsunami this summer, Chick-fil-A, the Atlanta-based sandwich shop that’s closed on Sundays, says it will end its decade-long corporate support of culture-warrior groups that oppose gay marriage. "Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena,” the company said in a statement Wednesday. Its charitable arm, WinShape Foundations, gave $2 million to gay-marriage opponents such as Focus on the Family in 2010 alone, according to ABC News. The news emerged from Chicago, from the office of city Alderman Joe Moreno, who helped drive the controversy...

In a letter addressed to Alderman Moreno and signed by Chick-fil-A’s Senior Director of Real Estate, it states, “The WinShape Foundations is now taking a much closer look at the organizations it considers helping, and in that process will remain true to its stated philosophy of not supporting organizations with political agendas.” Winshape, a non-profit funded by Chick-fil-a, has donated millions of dollars to anti-LGBT groups, including some classified as hate groups, such as Focus on the Family and the National Organization for Marriage. In meetings the company executives clarified that they will no longer give to anti-gay organizations. But...

The seeds of chaos were planted in July when Chick-fil-A President Dan Kathy appeared on a radio show and publicly stated that his company opposes same-sex marriage. It didn’t take long for his statements to reverberate throughout the nation, with civil rights groups, media outlets and the public at large responding feverishly. This, teamed with the angst that was already created months before over Chick-fil-A’s past donations to groups that support the traditional family unit, created a furor. With the dust having finally settled, a shocking report from a Chicago-based gay rights group claims that the fast food chain has...

After sparking anger nationwide by vocally supporting the fight against same-sex marriage, the Chick-fil-A fast-food chain has reportedly agreed to halt giving money to groups that seek to ban the practice. The chain's president and son of its founder, Dan Cathy, sparked the furor in July, when he gave an interview to a Christian radio program in which he said "I think we are inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, 'We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.'" He later said, "We want to do anything we possibly...

Chicago alderman who made national headlines during the summer for opposing a Chick-fil-A in his increasingly trendy Northwest Side ward has reversed course, saying he will let the fast-food chain open a store in Logan Square. Ald. Proco "Joe" Moreno, 1st, said the restaurant has agreed to include a statement of respect for all sexual orientations in an internal document and promised that its not-for-profit arm would not contribute money to groups that oppose gay marriage. Though Moreno said he scored a "big win," the company made nearly identical pledges in a July 19 Facebook post that went up even...

It was reported recently in this paper — and opined on — that there are students upset over Chick-fil-A being served on campus. First, Chick-fil-A does not have any history of discrimination; rather, it treats its customers and employees with the utmost respect. And, contrary to what one columnist wrote, Chick-fil-A as a company has no policy regarding marriage; it was its CEO who expressed his beliefs. And for that, not only Mr. Cathy but the entire company has been demonized. (Might I point out — the belief held by Mr. Cathy on marriage is the exact same position held...

I'm tired of homosexuals trying to coerce people into accepting their ignorant view of sexual reality. Their attacks on the Chick-Fil-A chain simply because the CEO says homosexual marriage is wrong. is unjustified bullying. Homosexuals need to accept the fact that many people believe what they do is immoral and that same sex marriage is wrong. Most of us do things that some people believe are morally wrong. A billion people believe that what I do for breakfast every day is wrong. Muslims and Jews as well as members of some other religions believe eating pork is morally wrong. Some...

An online petition calling for the removal of Chick-fil-A from the Marshall Student Center (MSC) has received considerable feedback — both support and backlash -— from the USF community. Though only a little over 100 signatures have been added to the petition on Change.org since last week (the petition had 771 signatures as of Wednesday night), it has received strong reactions. Scott Ferguson, an assistant professor in the Department of Humanities and Cultural Studies, created the petition. As news of the petition’s existence has spread, he said he received negative feedback — including bigoted emails from other USF professors, negative...

The American public may be divided on "Obamacare," but when faced with choosing a candidate to care for them if illness struck, President Obama is their man. By a 13 point margin - 49-36 percent - registered voters polled by ABC News chose the president over Mitt Romney to nurse them back to health. When asked who they thought "would make a more loyal friend," the results were about the same. By a 50-36 percent count, respondents said Obama was more likely to stick with them through trying times. As for suppertime, still more ugly numbers for Romney. Fifty-two percent...

This past week gay advocate Wayne Besen ran a commentary piece entitled, "Will Chick-fil-A Dig In or Dig Out of the Hole?". I wanted to comment on Besen's commentary which appears in HuffPost Gay Voices (which FReepers may link to but not post as articles). Besen believes the company appeared to "take steps in a positive direction last week, when Dan Cathy "welcomed campus leaders to a private luncheon in Atlanta to discuss diversity, hospitality and the opportunity to find common ground." " The meeting was held in secret and included among other groups the LGBT student advocacy group Campus...

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino can’t decide whether to back Scott Brown or Elizabeth Warren, but he is sure about one thing: He will never endorse a Chick-fil-A sandwich, even if it’s in front of his nose. Menino, who led the protest against the fast-food chain because of the CEO’s stance against gay marriage, is staying in a hotel building in Charlotte that includes a dreaded Chick-fil-A just downstairs from the hotel lobby. So the Truth Squad thought that would be a good opportunity to make a peace offering to the mayor — a No. 1 combo meal sandwich on...

Exclusive: Scott Lively offers evidence the tide is turning in favor of 'normal people' ...Panic swept across the “gay” movement. They realized with the terror of a thief caught in the very act that their attempt to crucify Dan Cathy constituted a serious overreach. ...

BILLINGS - Calling it an opportunity to support "traditional family values", the Montana Family Foundation will open a Chick-fil-A drive-thru in Billings for one day in September. The "Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day" is Sept. 8. For a suggested donation of $20 per person, the public is invited to attend this fundraising event where hot Chick-fil-A chicken, coleslaw and chocolate chip cookies will be available to the first 1000 people. Earlier this summer, Chick-Fil-A CEO Dan Cathy made several statements supporting what he believes to be "the traditional family," saying about same-sex marriage that those who "have the audacity to define what...

I grew up in an Italian neighborhood, so my first understanding of bigotry was that it referred to a very large tree (“Hey, dat’s a big-a tree!”). Now, many years later, I know that it really means supporting traditional marriage. Like President Obama, I have “evolved.” I have advanced on the semantic spectrum from being ethnicized to being politicized. Who needs Noah Webster?William A. Jacobson is an Associate Clinical Professor at the Cornell University Law School. The sesquipedalian title of the statement he posted on July 29, 2012 encapsulates its essence: “Most important legacy of Obama’s gay marriage switch was...

A Los Angeles artist who allegedly painted the words ‘Tastes Like Hate’ on a Chick-fil-A restaurant following the announcement that their president was against marriage equality, is not going to be criminally charged. Manuel Castro, 30, of West Hollywood, was arrested on suspicion of vandalism a few weeks ago, but will not be criminally charged by the LA County district attorney’s office, according to the Los Angeles Times. Prosecutors said earlier this week that they would not be pressing charges after police in Torrance submitted a case. The District Attorney’s letter said: “The suspect has acknowledged his wrongdoing and offered...

A West Hollywood artist who allegedly painted the words "Tastes like hate" on the side of a Chick-fil-A restaurant because of the company president's stand against gay marraige won't be criminally charged by the L.A. County district attorney's office. Prosecutors announced Wednesday they were declining to press charges after Torrance police submitted a case. "The suspect has acknowledged his wrongdoing and offered to make restitution. Finally, the record does not establish the suspect was motivated by religious hatred," the D.A.'s office said in its letter rejecting prosecution.