http://news.change...e-same-sex-couples


Bet Chick-fil-A wishes this month would end. Over the past few weeks, the restaurant chain's deep ties to the anti-gay movement have been exposed and uncovered by a number of activists, most notably Jeremy Hooper at Good As You. Whether it's Focus on the Family, the National Organization for Marriage, the Pennsylvania Family Institute, or Exodus International, Chick-fil-A ties run deep.

Of course, the President of Chick-fil-A wants gay people to share no hard feelings. The restaurant will gladly feed homosexuals gobs of chicken sandwiches, after all. But when it comes to marriage, Chick-fil-A believes strongly that same-sex couples just don't deserve equal rights.

As we wrote about a few weeks ago, Chick-fil-A's charitable arm, the WinShape Foundation, has been particularly active in the fight against marriage equality. They've hosted conferences with some of the leading opponents of gay marriage in this country. A higher up at WinShape has even praised the efforts of anti-gay activist David Blankenhorn for working against marriage equality, and for articulating a solid reason why American culture should reject same-sex couples.

Now comes some email correspondence that Good As You has shared on their blog, where the WinShape Foundation's Retreat Center -- a center run by the charitable arm of Chick-fil-A -- admits that they have a severe distaste for LGBT people.

The email correspondence goes a little something like this. Someone writes WinShape an easy question about whether their retreat center is open to LGBT people. WinShape's response:

"WinShape Retreat defines marriage from the Biblical standard as being between one man and one woman. Groups/Individuals are welcome who offer wholesome, educational conferences and programs that are compatible with Biblical values and WinShape's purpose," WinShape wrote back.

Kind of some corporate speak, right? So the activist wrote back: can you just give a clear-cut answer? And WinShape confirmed:

"We do not accept homosexual couples because of the statement in our contract."

And so it goes like this: Chick-fil-A is a restaurant where franchises frequently donate to anti-gay organizations like the Pennsylvania Family Institute, Focus on the Family and others. The restaurant's charitable arm, WinShape, holds conferences for opponents of gay marriage and praises their work. And this charitable arm's Retreat program puts a blanket ban on gay couples using their facilities, because they "do not accept homosexual couples."

Yet the President of Chick-fil-A still says that all people, including LGBT people, are treated with respect by the restaurant? Huh, what a funny definition of respect.

Meanwhile, check this story out. So the Human Rights Campaign's NOMExposed project tried to submit an equality-minded video to the Ruth Institute's "Reel Love Video Challenge." The Ruth Institute is an affiliate of the National Organization for Marriage, and they're running a contest where folks can submit videos talking about what love means. The video below was originally accepted, but then promptly booted out of the project once the Ruth Institute became aware that it actually championed equality for same-sex couples.

Here's the kicker: the Ruth Institute's "Reel Love Video Challenge" has a tie-in to Chick-fil-A's WinShape Foundation. Wouldn't it be nice to hear why the Ruth Institute and the WinShape Foundation find the below video so offensive? After all, what is love if it isn't equal?

I'm not sure why this is news. Chick-fil-A's stance has been well known for over 20 years.

Posted by MutantMandias I'm not sure why this is news. Chick-fil-A's stance has been well known for over 20 years.

Bingo. Its a free world. Don't like their stance, don't consume their product. Thats free market capitalism at its finest. Don't legislate morality

Posted by jeepdave Don't legislate morality

RIGHT BACK AT YOU, SWEECHUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by jeepdave Don't legislate morality

Yeah.

Like abstinence only education legislation.

Like same sex marriage legislation.

Like anti-abortion legislation.

Like legislating that US foreign aid recipients must legislate against abortion.

Like alcohol prohibition, (and marijuana prohibition) legislation.

Like legislating text book warning labels.

Didn't the taliban legislate morality? Wait, sound familiar...


http://adultthough...rican_Taliban.html

So easy to bait.........................

Posted by jeepdave Bingo. Its a free world. Don't like their stance, don't consume their product. Thats free market capitalism at its finest. Don't legislate morality

Well, then, I guess theft and murder shouldn't be legislated, either.

Having an opinion about same-sex marriage is nowhere near teh same as murder. Comparing the two is just plain immature

Posted by jeepdave So easy to bait.........................

yeah, but tekriter can smite you hardcore.

Posted by Samurai yeah, but tekriter can smite you hardcore.

I can honestly say, I would rather be smit by God.

Posted by jeepdave I can honestly say, I would rather be smit by God.

since there is no god, you're SOL.

Posted by Samurai yeah, but tekriter can smite you hardcore.

I'd cheerfully disagree with you on that one. Though, in truth, I have smited people, it was for far greater reason than simply voicing an uneducated opinion.

WRT the original post, it is worth noting that in the USA you can still be arrested for seeking certain forms of pleasure in the privacy of your own home.

The objections of this company, based on the weight of evidence, are not rooted in reality, but come from piety, like much legislation in the USA.

Jeepdave opens an interesting door about legislation and morality.

Despite the establishment clause the united states is a near theocracy.

Consider the amount of tax dollars spent on "faith based initiatives",

a stone monument to the ten commandments erected at the state house in Montgomery (there's a great guide for morality there!) and the attorney general does nothing;

Iraq invaded because god told george bush to do it.

Adding "under god" to the pledge of allegiance in 1954;

Justice Anton Scalia supports the death penalty (the last western country to do so) and supports this view with biblical quotes (he also supports the death penalty for retarded people and sodomy laws and probably eats at chick fil a);




People of faith seem obsessed with curtailing the private freedoms of others. This is never more obvious than when they try to legislate against acts that have no effect on public safety.

Oral or anal sex is a CRIMINAL act in 13 states.

The desire to punish people for private acts is related to the concept of sin and the more depth of religious belief in a state the more non procreative sex acts will attract legislation.



How about the war on drugs?

Is it about health concerns or about pleasure seeking and sin?

Alcohol is widely available and unarguably causes millions in health care costs and results in countless lives ruined or dead. There is no approved medical use and a lethal dose can be had for a few dollars.


Using marijuana is a criminal offence. It has a number of proven medical uses and no known lethal dose. WTF? Gateway drug? Nope. It's simply evil because it makes you happy in your pants.


What is the cost, socially and economically of the war on marijuana?


How about legislation forbidding stem cell research based on religious concerns alone? Destroying embryonic cells at the blastocyst stage (150 cells) is akin to smiting an actual HUMAN according to US law because, legislators believe without any good reason, a soul enters the embryo at conception. One nation under god.



Maybe legislating right and wrong is not the problem. It's how you determine right and wrong and I would suggest the bible is not the best source of wisdom on this subject.



"I have recently been examining all the known superstitions of the world," noted Jefferson, "and I do not find in our particular superstition (Christianity) one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded upon fables and mythologies. The Christian God is a being of terrific character -- cruel, vindictive, capricious, and unjust..." Thomas Jefferson


“The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” Thomas Jefferson



One nation under god indeed.

Posted by tekriter Oral or anal sex is a CRIMINAL act in 13 states. The desire to punish people for private acts is related to the concept of sin and the more depth of religious belief in a state the more non procreative sex acts will attract legislation.

Sodomy laws are still on the books in Ohio, but they're not enforced, and I can't think of any state in which they are enforced. (Doesn't mean they're not, though. Anyone care to enlighten me?)

How about Sunday liquor laws? That's so obviously religion-based, I'm surprised the ACLU hasn't done something about it.

But morality is always legislated. The difference lies in personal morality vs. morality that involves other people.

Posted by jeepdave Bingo. Its a free world. Don't like their stance, don't consume their product. Thats free market capitalism at its finest.

Unless of course they are 501(c)3. Then my tax dollars are at work helping them discriminate. And that is a problem I've covered before...

Posted by underdark Unless of course they are 501(c)3. Then my tax dollars are at work helping them discriminate. And that is a problem I've covered before...

Hey, I have issues with the NFL too.................

Posted by jeepdave Hey, I have issues with the NFL too.................

Churches, collages, and charities abuse 501(c)3 status.
Pro sports teams abuse cities buy claiming that taxpayer funded venues create local jobs and generate local tax revenue when repeated studies show this isn't true.

I have a problem with both situations.

The amount of trivial shit you people bitch about is amazing.

Yeah, gay marriage is a big deal and that should be a right but so much complaining and worrying over the fact a damn church does not pay taxes or Chil-Fl-A is mean to gays. Your all gonna get ulcers.

Posted by Soldat Your all gonna get ulcers.

already there, shady.

Btw, calling the US a "near Theocracy" is borderline paranoia. Who give a flying fuck they put a stone ten commandments at a courthouse? When they start prosecuting people for worshiping a false idol let me know, until then worry about more important things.

The idea that the US is a near theocracy is ludicrous. It's a Corporatocracy, and one of the tools of manipulation is religion.