Remember how we told you LGBT protesters were going to picket the new Hollywood franchise of Chick-Fil-A last weekend because of the company’s horrendously anti-gay ways?
Yeah, well, not so much.
Queerty reader Joshua Rogers, who did protest the fast-food shack, says most of the gays he saw were there to get their grub on, not take the company to task for funding Focus on the Family.
I was at the Hollywood Chick-Fil-A protest and took a couple pictures but truth it was a pathetic turn out and in my opinion the real story is how many people from the LGBT community were there not to protest, but to eat.
Most of them already knew why we were there and chose not to care while others shrugged and placed their order. I become more angry with the lack of support from the LGBT community than the company itself. Are gays just an affluent minority and therefore have become comfortable and lazy? Is it internalized homophobia? I don’t understand it.
We don’t either—don’t they know how many calories are in a Chick-fil-A Deluxe Chicken Sandwich?
How about we take this to the next level?
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Below, a shot of Rogers and his friends getting the word out. Somebody buy them a nice lunch!
Christopher Lines
GAYS WHO SUPPORT CHIC FIL-A SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES.
FreddyMertz
Never really liked their food…I know a bit frustrating when people are uninformed about a company’s position…even bigger when they do know and still patronized such businesses.
macmantoo
And the same ones who went there to eat will probably be the same ones who will vote for a Republican in the next election. The action says it all.
iDavid
Hmm, maybe the fundies have become a dying novelty to go to the zoo for a glimpse at the hemmoraging dinosaur. It’s not every day you get to be served by an open funda-mental inmate.
Though the war may be far from over, maybe for some gays, it is.
the crustybastard
People in Hollywood — of all places — are self-involved, and would rather join the herd to do the “new” thing than stand on integrity or principles?
This comes as quite a shock. Quite a shock indeed.
Nice try anyway, Joshua & company.
iDavid
@crustybastard,
Haha not! Hollywood Ca, my hometown, is far from joining the “herd”. Hollywood is the creative breakout capitol of the world and you color it plaid? Sure you’re not thinking Dollywood attendees?
roger
its a shame as a community we can unite and have a bigger voice, i dont like chick fil a. their food is unimpressive. i quit them long ago along with cracker barrel and any other business that has discriminatory practices against glbt persons. too many gay people burry their heads in the sand and think it dosent involve me but when they are the ones fired they expect the rest of us to rally on their side. speak up people!
iDavid
…. or are you saying the “new thing” enacted by “the herd” is acting passe to the mental patients rather than react and protest?
Mr. Enemabag Jones
Are gays just an affluent minority and therefore have become comfortable and lazy?
Yes. These are people who either don’t know, or have forgotten what it was like in the seventies, and eighties. As far as they’re concerned everything is fine and dandy.
tookietookie
I don’t like the company, its management, or anything it stands for. All their posters in the stores are particularly nauseating. But what I do enjoy is their delicious, delicious chicken. I tried to hold out for several weeks, but the siren call of their nuggets broke down my resistance. Who is to castigate me for succoring myself, in the face of all this discrimination, with a little waffle fries and bbq sauce? With a little cole slaw on the side? With a Diet Dr. Pepper?
Oh he who is without sin, cast the first nugget.
JAR
What kills me is not only the gays who choose to spend their money there, but the ones posting pictures proudly on Facebook. Are they knowingly and happily funding their own discrimination and proud of it?
If it was reported that chickfila was giving money to an organization that sponsored anti-Semitic groups or a white supremest group…how would the public react? Would you see the African-American community and Jewish community proudly posting about their waffle fries on Facebook?
I know it’s a challenge and a possible inconvenience, but come on gays…don’t wait around for Lady Gaga to fight all your battles!
tookietookie
Maybe we need to sell comparably delicious chicken nuggets and hurt Chick-Fil-A’s share of the market.
chattykathy
did someone call hollywood the creative breakout capital? i can’t remember the last time anything original came out of the black hole of creativity…
and gays, along with the majority of the american population, will buy anything that makes them fat and happy, no matter what the consequence.
chattykathy
did someone call hollywood the creative breakout capital? i can’t remember the last time anything original came out of that black hole of creativity…
and gays, along with the majority of the american population, will buy anything that makes them fat and happy, no matter what the consequence.
Jim Hlavac
Actually, boycotts from gays are the wrong tactic, and buycotts the more effective route: — for they don’t want us in their stores, right? Well, then, the thing to do is go in to these places as couples, holding hands, nuzzling like heteros in bliss, telling the hottie behind the counter he’s a hottie indeed. The thing to do is have big gay picnics and occupy the places with throngs of gays who can stomach the place. The thing to do is print on every dollar bill we spend there “gay dollar” so the accounting office sees thousands of gay dollars a day — the thing to do is embrace them with the same sort of Christian love they espouse. Kill them with kindness.
They don’t care whether we eat there or not; they’re opposed to our existence. And it is all the better then, from their point of view, that gays disappear from their place; if they could even spot us. No, the thing to do is run after them and give them a big sloppy sissy smooch while saying “we gays loooovvvveee you guys” and then let them throw us out — which would get the news; not some tiny protest that no one gives a damn about.
Hell, I’m all for gays to visit the megachurches at this point – let’s rile it up with kindness. At the churches of course, feel free to bring a pail of stones to give to teh collection basket so they without sin might cast the first stone.
Oh Dear (John From England)
No shock here……
People need to realize that Hollyweird isn’t a nice place. At all. Whether it’s NPH or Ellen. They are all self serving and only get involved with something to then….win an award.
Yuk.
Mk_Ultra_Again
If you’re going to use your money to fund discrimination, don’t ask for marriage. Don’t call Maggie fat, don’t get angry at anti-gay politicians. Don’t complain about religious people. You get what you ask for and if you ask for discrimination, why act like a victim afterwards?
Merlyn
@Mr. Enemabag Jones:
These same LGBT who think everything is fine, don’t care who is out to deprive them of their rights had better get some sense into them and vote come November of 2012 or they will find life under the Christian Talibangelical rule very unpleasant (to say the least).I’d be inclined to say they deserve what they get but the rest of us would suffer for their cluelessness.
As Mk_Ultra_Again notes:
“If you’re going to use your money to fund discrimination, don’t ask for marriage. Don’t call Maggie fat, don’t get angry at anti-gay politicians. Don’t complain about religious people. You get what you ask for and if you ask for discrimination, why act like a victim afterwards?”
I remember the “bad old days” before Stonewall and see how far we have come and I willnot give money to companies that donate to groups that work to revoke/deny us right.
DB
There were about a dozen there around noon until around 2:00. I couldn’t stay beyond that, but the turnout was more than 4, but not nearly as many as it could or should have been.
I do agree though: the support from the gay community was pretty pathetic. We actually got better response from straight allies driving by. Many had no idea about Chick Fil A and were glad to find out. It was just hard to reach too many people with a small crew and rather demotivating at the number of gays who just don’t give a sh*t.
I have a couple gay “friends” who eat there regularly (not ones I speak to currently as I don’t like to associate with douchebags). Not sure if it’s self hatred, lack of self respect, or just stupidity (or a combination thereof).
Jamie
I’m a gay man & I love to eat at Chick-fil-A……I’m from Southern California, but I haven’t been to the Hollywood location yet. I have been to their locations at USC (Downtown Los Angeles) and Valencia.
Chick-fil-A has the friendliest, best customer service out there.
Do I disagree with their political views on same-sex marriage? Yes. But my affinity for their product & customer service outweighs my disagreement with their political views. I’m not going to spend a lot of money to buy a product I don’t want, and get rude customer service, simply because it is from a gay-owned or “gay-friendly” business.
If I had $5 to $10 to spend on lunch, I would prefer eating at Chick-fil-A in Hollywood as opposed to some gay-owned place with horrible service & mediocre food in West Hollywood.
I don’t appreciate gay activists telling me where I should or should not spend my money. If you don’t want to eat at Chick-fil-A, I respect your right to do as you wish. Please respect my right to do the same.