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Activists Protest Chick-fil-A's Anti-Gay Marriage Stance at New Hollywood Location
Not everyone is so in love with Chick-fil-A that they flock to the ends of the earth with their special Chick-fil-A tent in tow every time a new location pops up.
After the first wave of hardcore chicken-lovers paying tribute to the chain's new Hollywood location subsided, a new wave of activists showed up on Saturday to protest the ownership's stance on gay marriage, according to Hollywood Patch.
Chick-fil-A's charitable arm has said explicitly that they do not support same-sex marriage. Activists have said the company's association with groups like Focus on the Family and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes have left a bad taste in their mouths.
"It's about civil rights," Ken Howard, one of the organizers of Saturday's protest, told Patch. "It's not anti-Christian. It's pro-civil rights and against hate groups."
Sponsored message
Chick-fil-A did not comment specifically on the Hollywood protest, but they released a general statement to Patch saying that none of their donations have been given to support an anti-gay agenda:
At Chick-fil-A, we have a genuine commitment to hospitality for all of our guests. We are not anti-anybody and have no agenda, policy or position against anyone as some continue to confuse with misleading reports. We have a 65-year history of providing hospitality for all people and, as a dedicated family business, serving and valuing everyone regardless of their beliefs or opinions. We support a number of organizations that enrich the communities where we serve daily. Some of these organizations are faith-based and marriage focused and others are not. These donations have not been given to support an anti-gay political agenda.
Patch said about 30 activists showed up to the protest. This video created by an activist shows that they were able to attract the attention of sympathetic passers-by at the busy intersection, who weren't aware of the the company's stance on gay marriage.
The company's corporate mission is explicitly Christian. It includes a charge "to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us." Some of its employment practices in the past have attracted scrutiny, according to the New York Times:
The company's Christian culture and its strict hiring practices, which require potential operators to discuss their marital status and civic and church involvement, have attracted controversy before, including a 2002 lawsuit brought by a Muslim restaurant owner in Houston who said he was fired because he did not pray to Jesus with other employees at a training session. The suit was settled.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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