Chick Fil-A's Anti-Gay Double Reverse
Chick Fil-A Appreciation Day, August 1st, was a hurtful event where a lot of LGBT people realized how little their communities care about them. Gleeful folks, including family members, friends, and neighbors of gay people, lined up to buy chicken sandwiches to donate to the companies' investment in anti-gay groups.
It was not a matter of free speech. Sure, the president of the company said some stupid stuff about gay people, whatever, I can't really imagine living in a world where I only did business with companies whose executives agreed with me on everything -- or anything. He has the right to his opinion, even if it's wrong.
But when you spend money at Chick Fil-A, your dollar ends up going directly to Family Blah Blah groups that campaign actively to make life harder for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. That is a good enough reason to boycott the chain.
This last couple of weeks there has been some kind of activity, but it is not clear what is happening. Chick Fil-A executives made a deal with a Chicago alderman that they would stop supporting homophobic groups and would give workplace protections to LBGT employees, and in exchange the alderman would agree that they could put a restaurant in his ward. It was not clear if the agreement covered only the Chicago franchise, or what -- you might have noted there was not a lot of publicity or shouts from the rooftops. Observers were cautious, as it seemed too good to be true.
Shortly after the agreement was made, company president Dan Cathy attended a fundraiser for an anti-gay group called the Marriage and Family Foundation. Well, maybe it was on his personal time.
This week, he explained to Mike Huckabee that nothing has changed. From CNN:
CNN does a pretty good job of tracing the thread of the story here.
It was not a matter of free speech. Sure, the president of the company said some stupid stuff about gay people, whatever, I can't really imagine living in a world where I only did business with companies whose executives agreed with me on everything -- or anything. He has the right to his opinion, even if it's wrong.
But when you spend money at Chick Fil-A, your dollar ends up going directly to Family Blah Blah groups that campaign actively to make life harder for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. That is a good enough reason to boycott the chain.
This last couple of weeks there has been some kind of activity, but it is not clear what is happening. Chick Fil-A executives made a deal with a Chicago alderman that they would stop supporting homophobic groups and would give workplace protections to LBGT employees, and in exchange the alderman would agree that they could put a restaurant in his ward. It was not clear if the agreement covered only the Chicago franchise, or what -- you might have noted there was not a lot of publicity or shouts from the rooftops. Observers were cautious, as it seemed too good to be true.
Shortly after the agreement was made, company president Dan Cathy attended a fundraiser for an anti-gay group called the Marriage and Family Foundation. Well, maybe it was on his personal time.
This week, he explained to Mike Huckabee that nothing has changed. From CNN:
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.I don't know what the legal intricacies are if some company executives sign a contract and the president says he is not supporting it. They certainly have business objectives in mind, and he wants to impose his personal beliefs on our society using company profits. I'm sure they had a good day August 1st, and maybe Cathy thinks he will do well catering to the narrow-minded market, but spending company money to advance an unpopular personal agenda cannot be a smart business model in the long run.
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 the executives gave him documents backing up the new positions. Chicago official asks Chick-fil-A to clarify gay marriage stance
CNN does a pretty good job of tracing the thread of the story here.
Chick-fil-A, in a statement Thursday, affirmed the workplace protections. Friday, however, company President Dan Cathy denied the company has ceased making donations to groups that oppose gay marriage and said Chick-fil-A "made no such concessions."After Chick Fil-A Appreciation Day was such a big news item last month, it would be a Big Deal if the company turned around and stopped supporting groups that promote prejudice and discrimination. It looked like that might happen, but at this point it appears the whole negotiating process has gone back to square one.
"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 said in a statement to Mike Huckabee, the former Republican presidential candidate who now runs a conservative website. "That is incorrect."
Moreno said Sunday that Cathy's statement "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."
Moreno said Chick-fil-A executives gave him a letter earlier this year saying the company's non-profit arm, the WinShape Foundation, will not support organizations with political agendas. "We were told that these organizations included groups that politically work against the rights of gay and lesbian people," Moreno said.
He said the executives confirmed to him that both the foundation and the company in 2012 has not given money and will not give money to those groups.
Cathy's conflicting statement, Moreno said Sunday, is "disturbing."
The Chicago alderman is waiting to see how this comes out before he introduces a bill for the new Chick Fil-A.
"I am simply asking Mr. Cathy to confirm statements and documents that HIS company executives provided to me," Moreno said in a written statement, capitalizing "his" for emphasis.
"It's pretty simple, Mr. Cathy. Do you acknowledge and support the policies that your executives outlined to me in writing or do you not? Yes or no?" the statement added.
posted by JimK at 8:59 AM
13 Comments:
"Moreno said Chick-fil-A executives gave him a letter earlier this year"
here's the source of the confusion
Moreno is using some letter he got earlier this year, before the whole controiversy erupted
Chik-Fil-A's policies have been consistent throughout
they have said consistently that they don't discriminate against gays and believe in respecting others who disagree with them
Moreno is trying to save face
btw, his attempt to coerce the company is unconstitional
individuals are within their rights to react to speech they don't like by boycotting
governments aren't
"individuals are within their rights to react to speech they don't like by boycotting"
Intel Halts Boy Scout Donations Over Anti-Gay Policy
"Since July, when the Boy Scouts of America reaffirmed its policy of excluding gays, the Scouts -- and organizations that give to it -- have come under steady pressure from gay rights organizations that are outraged over the policy. Some of that pressure is beginning to show results.
This week, Intel, which was recently identified as the Scouts' largest corporate funder, announced that it is no longer giving to the youth organization. In 2010, Intel reportedly gave more than $700,000 to local troops and councils.
In a statement to ThinkProgress, Intel clarified its policies, and said that it would no longer give to organizations that were out of step with its nondiscrimination principles. "Earlier this year we revisited our policies associated with the program, and applied new rigor that requires any organization to confirm that it adheres to Intel’s anti-discrimination policy in order to receive funding," Intel’s Chief Diversity Officer wrote in the statement to ThinkProgress. According to ThinkProgress, those Boy Scout troops and councils that do allow gay troops and leaders, in defiance of the organization's policy, are still eligible for Intel's funding..."
corporations have every right to do that
they take their own chances, however
I know a lot of you TTFers look at the state of the country and would like to vote for the double-R ticket
here's something to make you feel better:
"GOP vice-presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said that the "don't ask, don't tell" policy should not be reinstated in an interview with West Palm Beach NBC affiliate WPTV that aired on Sunday.
Ryan voted in 2010 -- along with most Republicans and several Democrats -- against the repeal of the policy that prohibited gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.
"I talked to a lot of good friends of mine who are combat leaders in the theater, and they just didn't think the timing of this was right to do this when our troops were in the middle of harm's way in combat," said Ryan. "Now that it's done, we should not reverse it. I think that would be a step in the wrong direction because people have already disclosed themselves."
"I think this issue is past us. It's done. And I think we need to move on," he said.
Romney in December 2011 articulated a similar position. "That’s already occurred. I'm not planning on reversing that at this stage," he told the Des Moines Register editorial board. "I was not comfortable making the change during a period of conflict, due to the complicating features of a new program in the middle of two wars going on, but those wars are winding down, and moving in that direction at this stage no longer presents that problem.""
Barack and I wouldn't be where we are today without you.
To say thank you, Barack is holding one last dinner with supporters before Election Day. And I hope you'll be there.
If you chip in $5 or whatever you can, you'll be automatically entered for a chance to win. Today only, each entry counts as two.
This is your last chance to be part of one of these dinners, so I hope you'll give it a shot:
https://my.democrats.org/Dinner
Michelle
P.S. -- And don't forget, we'll take care of airfare and accommodations. Just make sure you enter before midnight.
THE SIMPSONS - Homer Votes 2012
"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate has done little to attract voters to the Republican ticket and more think he is not qualified to be president than believe he is ready for the White House, a Reuters/Ipsos poll said on Monday.
Fewer than a third of registered voters, 29 percent, said the selection of Ryan made them feel more favorable toward Romney. But with 27 percent in the online poll saying it made them feel less favorable, Ryan's place on the ticket may have little effect on the November 6 election.
The results were largely split along party lines - with 46 percent of Democrats saying Ryan's choice made them less favorable, compared with 8 percent who said the opposite. And 56 percent of Republicans felt more favorable, versus 6 percent.
But Ryan has not swayed many political independents, the voters expected to play a decisive role in the election. Eighteen percent felt more favorable and 13 percent less so.
"Overall, he doesn't really appear to be impacting the top of the ticket much," Ipsos pollster Julia Clark said. "He's still a bit of an unknown entity."
The survey was conducted September 20-24, a time when some Republican commentators have been pressing Romney's campaign to do more to promote Ryan, who is seen as a proponent of big fiscal ideas, like a plan to overhaul the government Medicare health insurance program for retirees..."
---------
"Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are embarked on a multi-day bus tour of Ohio, even as Karl Rove is openly speculating about whether the Republicans ought to start thinking about doing what they’ve never done before – chart an Ohio-less route to the White House. “Look, there are 11 different ways to win without Ohio,” Rove said on Fox News Monday night. Yes, it’s come to that: the man who secured George W. Bush’s reelection with a tremendous turnout effort in Ohio in 2004 is now on the verge of declaring the Buckeye State a lost cause. And that was before the latest Ohio poll came out, the Washington Post one this morning that has Obama up eight."
Lying appears to be a rather common tactic by supporters of those on the far right.
"Not only does Chick-fil-A, which claims to stand for Christian principles, continue to support anti-gay groups, but now it has taken up lying, a decidedly un-Christian action.
That’s right, we have been duped. Let me explain.
On September 18, just a few days after Chick-fil-A had supposedly agreed to stop funding bigoted groups, their president, Dan Cathy, tweeted a photo from a fundraiser. The event was hosted by WinShape, a non-profit funded by Chick-fil-A, which has donated millions of dollars to anti-LGBT groups, including some classified as hate groups.
This fundraiser, a 200 miles couple’s motorcycle ride called “2012 WinShape Ride for the Family,” had an entry fee of $3,500 per couple. In addition, sponsorship packages posted online show that organizations could pledge $5,000 for “silver” status, $10,000 for “gold” or $15,000 and more to reach “platinum.”
And where was all this money going?
That long ride was in reality a fundraiser for an organization that helps lobby against marriage equality. Registration forms for the event asked that checks be sent, not to the WinShape Foundation, but directly to the Marriage and Family Foundation at 5200 Buffington Road in Atlanta, Georgia, an address that just happens to be shared by Chick-fil-A’s headquarters.
In case you’ve forgotten about this organization: the Marriage and Family Foundation was identified in the investigation by Equality Matters of Chick-fil-A’s questionable giving history, as the top antigay recipient in 2010, when it received more than $1 million in donations.
So nothing has changed.
Meanwhile, Alderman Moreno of Chicago is furious.
From The Advocate:
'The Chicago alderman who claims Chick-fil-A executives promised him the company was changing its antigay ways is now demanding an explanation for President Dan Cathy’s recent behavior. And if he doesn’t get one, then the alderman says Cathy can forget about expanding in Chicago.
Cathy told Fox News’ Mike Huckabee on Friday that his fast-food chain had “made no such concessions” to Alderman Proco “Joe” Moreno and that “we remain true to who we are and who we have been.”'
No, the leopard really hasn’t changed its spots."
TheHill.com reports:
Gallup daily poll shows Obama stretching lead to 50-44 over Romney
By Jonathan Easley - 09/26/12 01:49 PM ET
"President Obama has stretched his lead over Mitt Romney to 6 percentage points nationally, according to the Gallup daily tracking poll released Wednesday.
Obama takes 50 percent support over Romney's 44 percent.
The president has hit the 50 percent mark only twice before in the poll, most recently after the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., earlier this month.
Obama's approval rating has also jumped in recent weeks, and sits at 51 positive and 43 negative, according to Gallup.
Obama now leads the Real Clear Politics (RCP) average of polls by 4 percent. Romney led the Gallup daily tracking poll on Aug. 27, 47 to 46 percent over Obama, but that’s the last time any major poll has shown him in the lead.
A string of polls in September has shown Obama pulling away, in some cases by as many as 8 percentage points, and the daily tracking polls have scarcely fluctuated over that time.
Gallup has been almost completely static, with each candidate averaging near 45 percent support throughout most of the cycle.
The latest survey from conservative-leaning Rasmussen still shows the race tied at 46 percent.
The relative steadiness of the national race magnifies the recent polls showing Obama pulling away, and appears to now mirror Obama’s advantage in the critical battleground states, where he has consistently held a slight edge.
A Washington Post poll released late Monday showed Obama with leads in Ohio and Florida. Obama led Romney by 8 points in Ohio, 52-44 percent, and by 51-47 percent in Florida.
The new Quinnipiac University/CBS News/New York Times poll released Wednesday shows Obama leading Romney by 53-43 percent among likely voters in Ohio and with a 53-44 percent edge in Florida.
Gallup’s 7-day rolling average of 3,050 registered voters has 2 percent margin of error."
"That’s right, we have been duped. Let me explain.
On September 18, just a few days after Chick-fil-A had supposedly agreed to stop funding bigoted groups, their president, Dan Cathy, tweeted a photo from a fundraiser."
what you're missing is that no one from Chik-fil-A said the compnay would sacrifice its principles to make a few bucks in Chicago
why would that be worth it?
this is is a company that gives up millions in profits each year by closing on Sundays
why would a company famous for selling Happy Meals with toys from Focus on the Family in the vibrant Bible Belt, where they are a leading business, be so desperate to open a store in rusting, old and cold Chicago?
the "supposedly" came entirely from the alderman
the credibility of Chicago politicians is not exactly stellar
"Meanwhile, Alderman Moreno of Chicago is furious."
he really should be nominated for an Oscar
"President Obama has stretched his lead over Mitt Romney to 6 percentage points nationally, according to the Gallup daily tracking poll released Wednesday.
Obama takes 50 percent support over Romney's 44 percent.
Romney led the Gallup daily tracking poll on Aug. 27, 47 to 46 percent over Obama, but that’s the last time any major poll has shown him in the lead."
well, I trust the integrity of the Gallup poll but, remember, it's a poll of registered voters not likely voters
"Gallup has been almost completely static, with each candidate averaging near 45 percent support throughout most of the cycle."
Doesn't that contradict what you just said?
"The latest survey from conservative-leaning Rasmussen still shows the race tied at 46 percent."
yes, and Rasmussen polls likley voters
remember they were the only poll to call the 2008 election precisely the day before the election
they know what they're doing
meanwhile, the mainstream press has become a branch of the Obama campaign to an unprecedented extent
every ill-chosen word by Romney is amplified while Obama's ridiculous statements are ignored
the other day, Obama told a reporter that the murder of our ambassador in Libya by al quaeda was "just a bump in the road"
and daily disclosures about the Obama administration's failure to provide security in the Mid-East for our diplomats is rarely heard about
oh, and the guy that said he was "change you can believe in" now says he can't change Washington
then, why doesn't he let someone else try?
and how about when he said recently that his only failure was to get immigration reform passed
yeah, just that...and failure to stop Iran from developing the bomb and failure to keep unemployment from going to 10% when he said he it would max out at 8%, which turned out to be the floor not the ceiling and failure to et al
The President did not say that "the murder of our ambassador in Libya by al quaeda was 'just a bump in the road'."
Here is what he told 60 minutes:
“But I was pretty certain and continue to be pretty certain that there are going to be bumps in the road because, you know, in a lot of these places the one organizing principle has been Islam.”
No mention of the murder of an ambassador, no use of the word "just".
I didn't put quotes around "murder of the ambassador"
but it was what they were discussing
"The latest survey from conservative-leaning Rasmussen still shows the race tied at 46 percent."
yes, and Rasmussen polls likley voters
What an ignorant thing to say.
Do you even bother to determine the types of voters other polling places use?
Obviously not, otherwise you'd know almost every poll included the RCP average of polls showing Obama up by four percentage points reports on likely voters, not registered voters like Gallup does.
Bloomberg reports a 6 point Obama advantage among 789 likely voters.
Politico/GWU/Battleground reports a 3 point Obama advantage among 1,000 likely voters.
The National Journal reports a 7 point Obama advantage among 1055 likely voters.
Associated Press/GfK reports a 1 point Obama advantage among 807 likely voters.
NBC News/Wall Street Journal reports a 5 point Obama advantage among 736 likely voters.
For someone who likes to appear so concerned with the validity of Rasmussen Reports reliance on poll numbers of LIKELY VOTERS, you appear to be totally uninformed and ignorant about all the other polls that report polling data from LIKELY VOTERS too.
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