As bigots across America make a special trip to Chick-fil-A today, we were a little surprised to find out the company’s sole franchise in New Hampshire is co-sponsoring the Granite State’s 2012 Pride festival.
Anthony Picolia, the general manager of the Chick-fil-A in Pheasant Lane Mall near Nashua told LGBTQ Nation that he, like Dan Cathy, was standing up for what he believed in by supporting the August 11 celebration in Manchester:
“In both my personal and professional life, I have had and continue to have positive relationships with family, friends, customers and employees in the LGBT community. It would make me sad if someone felt that they were not openly welcomed into my life or restaurant based on their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender,”
Picolia said he treats all his customers and workers with “honor, dignity and respect” and regularly donates to a wide variety of causes. “I would challenge people to come have a conversation with me before they make assumptions or boycott my restaurant,” he wrote in a statement.
Anyone want to take a road trip to New Hampshire? We’re totally craving some waffle fries.
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Jordan
So proud to be a resident of NH right now!
Neo
Well done for rising above the hatred forced down from bigoted management and hateful, spiteful old men and women jealous the world has gotten better in spite of them.
Dan Leveille
You can go show them support on their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cfapheasantlane
Scribe37
Next weeks queerty headline: Chik-fil-a closes lone store in NH for not being closed minded enough!
DJ
The Chic-Fil-A stores are all owned by franchisees. I don’t eat there because I don’t care for fast food, but I can’t see penalizing the people who own these franchises along with their employees just because the president of the franchisor is a religious asshole.
But of course the nasty queen contingent always looks for blood from anyone they can get their hands on, whether they’re innocent or guilty, whenever someone else dares to speak out against us.
This is a good thing that this franchise is doing; but I’m sure some of the nasty queens here will claim that it’s not or other such nonsense.
Kev C
That sandwich doesn’t actually look appealing. It’s a piece of breaded chicken on a plain white bun. They wouldn’t eat that in latin america or europe, it’s too bland.
Daez
@DJ: They are all “owned” by franchisees. They pay a franchisee licensing fee every single year. That fee is often in the millions of dollars. Also, I am willing to guarantee that much like every other franchise, there are some corporate stores and some franchise stores, and you do not exactly know which is which unless you investigate it.
adonai
@Kev C: You’d be surprised, it’s really good. You should try it but you’re probably biased so you’re not gonna give it a fair chance
Holly Rivera
That’s great, but all the money he brings in for the company stills goes back to anti-gay groups. The franchise fee is his ticket to being a part of the anti-gay movement. If he wants to stand up for what’s right, he’ll remove himself from a chain that supports hate groups.
Cam
So Dan Avery has written an article claiming that boycotting wouldn’t effect Chick Fill A,
Then writes and article on Romney being a great guy and inclusive.
Now an article about a Pro-Gay Chick Fil A.
Of course he leaves out the part about their massive Franchise fees and all the money they spend each day purchasing branded cups, containers, food products etc… from corporate goes into the same pot that has been funding multiple anti-gay groups.
Funny how we have seen nothing about the Mormons continuing to fund multiple anti-gay pushes throughout the country, NOM’s activities etc… Oh but wait, those put bigots in a poor light which apparently is not what he is here for.
bob hayes
The Chic Fil A here in Tampa still has 2 lines around the place for lunch. The comment above about the fact that older men and women cant deal with the world being a better place is so so true. Also, i guess all of the family members of the Chic fil a are straight as well.
Kev C
@adonai: I saw their ingrediants and cooking methods. They use MSG and brining to make things “juicy”. But any good cook knows how to get those mouth-watering effects. Chick-fil-A strikes me as being Wonder-bready WASP food suitable for Napolean Dynamite. Americans don’t know how to cook, so they rely on fast food a lot.
Hyhybt
@Kev C: Looks can be deceiving. Besides, that’s their standard, namesake sandwich; you can get it other ways.
Nobody else I know of fries their chicken in peanut oil. Whether that’s what makes the difference or not, I don’t know.
Brandon
As long as a portion of profits go into the hands of Cathy, this guy is as guilty as anyone else. He should have done his research before hooking up with this corporation that actively seeks to demonize gay persons and deny their basic human right to exist, not only in the USA but abroad as well.
Brandon
and let me add that the gay rights group should refuse its offer of sponsorship.
Selrah
@Cam: Lol. You really don’t like Dan Avery do you…
Shannon1981
Still, his franchise fees go to Dan Cathy and his band of bigots. While I appreciate what he is trying to do, he still falls miserably short. Still boycotting.
sweetbrandigirl2004
Just Wait until the Head Bigots at Chick-fil-a Headquarters finds out about this guy in NH they’ll be pulling his franchise away from him faster then he can deep fry and waffle fry.
Cam
@Selrah:
I had no problem until it became obvious that the site was continually downgrading people fighting for gay rights, and ignoring or going easy on people that were attacking gay rights.
Leah
I live 5 minutes from that resturant, and to be honest, I haven’t realy eaten there since I heard about everything going on with Chick-fil-a. But now I’ll be more than happy buy from them. I think I might even thank them for standing up for what’s right. 🙂
Kev C
@Leah: Leah, you filthy homophobe, stop hanging around gay boards and EAT MOR CHIKEN!
the other Greg
I’m so mystified by this whole thing. Boycott, sure… never been there so I have no trouble boycotting it, but… uh, it’s fast food, and I’m a gay grown-up.
Before this controversy, I had thought openly gay people gave up fast food when we came out in our 20s and got our Official Gay Cards, and learned to cook actual food – if not for health yet (in our 20s), just for the cool factor and to impress dates. And I’d thought that many or most of us had our first “out” jobs as adults in real (not fake) restaurants.
But reading the comments on these endless CFA stories, I get the impression that many of you are stuck with teenage tastebuds. Or maybe just STRAIGHT tastebuds!
We’ll send someone around shortly to visit you guys, to collect & tear up your Official Gay Cards and give you some fast food coupons and pleated pants.
Chuck
@the other Greg: This was my experience. ;3 I have to get my gay card renewed though. I’ve been eating out too much lately.
Hyhybt
My card must have been lost in the mail; sometime, I’ll have to apply for a replacement, though I haven’t yet figured out how to go about it.
Meanwhile, I do love to cook, but I even more hate washing dishes. And after 14 years with McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A tastes wonderful.
Hyhybt
Besides, in my experience at least, cooking just for myself is about the loneliest activity I know.
Belize
@Cam: LOL. I had no problem with him–until I actually started reading his work.
Kev C
@Hyhybt: Invite some friends or neighbors over. You’d be surprised how many will eat free food!
Hyhybt
@Kev C: That’s prohibitively expensive to do on a regular basis. Maybe an “I’ll cook your food if I can eat some of it” arrangement?
Kev C
@Hyhybt: I miss those boheimian times when you could go to a different apartment every night and get a well cooked dinner. It was a lot healthier than going to the greasy chicken joint on the corner, as so many people do now.
Cam
@Belize: LOL!!! Well….yeah.
Joh
@the other Greg: hey, I’m 58 and still have a 29 inch waist from NOT
Eating at fast food restaurants soooooo please, I still have all my pleated pants from the 90s