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Henson, Huckabee take sides in Chick-fil-A same-sex marriage controversy
[Updated at 6:36 p.m. ET] The comments about same-sex marriage made by Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy a week ago continue to generate controversy this week, with politicians and fantasy creatures, well at least their handlers, weighing in.
"Guilty as charged," Cathy was quoted as saying in the Baptist Press last week when asked about his company's support of the traditional family unit as opposed to same-sex marriage.
"We are very much supportive of the family - the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business," Cathy was quoted as saying.
That stance didn't go over well with the Jim Henson Co., whose Jim Henson's Creature Shop toys have been served up in Chick-fil-A's meals for kids. Jim Henson Co. is named after the creator of the Muppets, though the company transferred the Muppets' rights and ownership to the Walt Disney Co. in 2003, according to Jim Henson Co.
"The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors," the company said in a posting on its Facebook page.
"Lisa Henson, our CEO, is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-fil-A to GLAAD (the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)," the Henson Co.'s posting said.
The posting, which is dated Friday, had drawn more than 10,000 likes and 2,000 comments as of Tuesday morning.
Also drawing numbers on Facebook was a page by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a 2008 GOP presidential candidate, which calls for people to turn out to Chick-fil-A restaurants on August 1 to show their support for what Cathy had to say about marriage.
"I have been incensed at the vitriolic assaults on the Chick fil-A company because the CEO, Dan Cathy, made comments recently in which he affirmed his view that the biblical view of marriage should be upheld," Huckabee wrote on the page, which can also be found at www.ISupportChickFilA.com.
"No one is being asked to make signs, speeches or openly demonstrate. The goal is simple: Let's affirm a business that operates on Christian principles and whose executives are willing to take a stand for the godly values we espouse by simply showing up and eating at Chick-fil-A on Wednesday, August 1," wrote Huckabee. As of Tuesday morning, more than 88,000 people had indicated they would be heading to a restaurant on August 1.
One place Chick-fil-A supporters won't be eating on August 1 is Boston. The Massachusetts capital has no Chick-fil-A restaurants, and after Cathy's comments, Boston's mayor says he doesn't want any in his city.
“Chick-fil-A doesn’t belong in Boston. You can’t have a business in the city of Boston that discriminates against a population. We’re an open city, we’re a city that’s at the forefront of inclusion,” Mayor Thomas M. Menino was quoted as saying by the Boston Herald.
For its part, Chick-fil-A said last week as the controversy was heating up that it didn't want to be involved in politics.
"The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect - regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender. We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 restaurants run by independent owner/operators. Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena," said a statement from Don Perry, the company's vice president of corporate public relations.
But don't expect those comments to calm things.
The next focus of the controversy may be the Chick-fil-A in Laguna Hills, California. Youth Empowered to Act, an Orange County group of LGBT leaders age 14 to 24, says on its Facebook page it will protest outside the restaurant's opening on Thursday. The group will try to persuade potential customers to take their business to nearby competitors that the group says do more to support LGBT equality, according to a posting on the GLAAD site.
Correction: Previous versions of this story identified toys given away with Chick-Fil-A meals as Muppets. They were not. The toys are characters from Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
More on Chick-fil-A and religion:
A social media storm over Chick-fil-A
Overheard on CNN.com: Readers defend Chick-fil-A
Ed Helms has beef with Chick-fil-A
Eatocracy: Fast food with a side of faithÂ
10 religious companies besides Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A controversy sheds light on restaurant's Christian DNA
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@cnnbrk on Twitter
It's fascinating that Dan Cathy is being castigated by the left for holding that same belief that Barack Obama held until just two months ago.
The only thing strange is that you believe that the left blindly supports their people in lockstep, the way the right does.
Idiot.
Obama didn't spend $5million dollars over the past 3 years fighting against basic human dignity and the spread of hate, inequality and bigotry. Not on my dollar, not any more. In my head I had picture of a chick-fil-a with 2 separate soda machines, one that had a sign that say "Gay" and one that says "Straight." But then I stopped myself, saying "come on, that would never happen. Chick-fil-A wouldn't do that. They don't want gays in their restaurant."
I am always fan of Chick-Fil-A. I don't care what CEO and GL&T beliefs. All it matter to me is the foods and their well-mannered services. That what make me and other customers happy.
BlahBlah is the perfect name for you
Awaiting His Kingdom wrote: "Thank you Mr Cathy for standing up for what you believe. God will richly bless you for honoring the family that He ordained"
So why doesn't this god ever regenerate the limbs of christian amputees?
someone is obviously out in left field somewhere.
It would be really interesting to see what would happen if every Christian only supported businesses that match their beliefs and everyone else support businesses according to their beliefs. Come on, lets get it out in the open. All business owners, state your beliefs and all believers begin sorting. I already know what would happen. It's about time too. Let the light be separated from the darkness and lets bankrupt the darkness once and for all.
That is most likely why most don't showboat and banter about there bigotry. They know if people knew what they thought, they would lose business
How naive of you to believe that all Christians share your regressive, judgmental, exclusionary views that are anything BUT Christian. In fact, I'd wager that those Christians that would agree with you are the minority. But feel free to embark on that long hard road – and definitely, count this Christian out of your idiocy..
How naive of you to believe that all Christians share your regressive, judgmental, exclusionary views that are anything BUT Christian. In fact, I'd wager that those Christians that would agree with you are the minority. But feel free to embark on that long hard road – and definitely, count this Christian out of your idiocy..
@OnlyOne; Well said, these so-called Christians follow their evangelistic false Prophets, against the teachings of the Bible, and then try to preach their bigoted views to everyone else.
I think that I have found the fast food restaraunt for me. Good show...
Good show indeed. Please help yourself to the cholesterol and oil-choked chicken fillets and waffle fries that I'm only too happy to cut out of my life.
I can tell you something else Boston will be at the forefront of; that wide road leading to perdition.
Strange, isn't it, that it's the midwest and not the northeast that's stuck with the heat of your "perdition".
Sorry Bucko, its people like you who worship false Prophets, that are going to get it, Matthew 24:24.
You religious people are nuts. Believe in what you want and keep it to your d@mn self. No one cares to hear your opinion.
This is about more than their beliefs, it is about thier actions. They are giving billions of dollars to hate organizations to discriminate against gays. That is the problem. Believing is one thing, doing is another.. If they are so worried about tradidiotnal marriage then why are they only attacking gays..Do you see them fighting against divorce. No they arent. They are using the bible to justify their hate.
It's Chick-Fil-A's RIGHT to support any organization it wishes and it's our responsibility as citizens of the world, rather we're gay or not, to accept and respect Chick-Fil-A's right to do so.
I'm not sure why this is getting so much attention. The store is closed on Sundays due to their religious beliefs.....what other company with stores nationwide does this.....was it really that big of a surprise regarding their views on marriage???
Except the Day of the Sabbath is actually Saturday, whoops, I guess the company going to have to face some tough penalties according to the Book of Leviticus!
apparently so it was such a huge shock
Their right to, but if the muppets are going to put down my beliefs then maybe i wasted alot of years on Sesame Street in the late 60's/eary 70's. Oh who am i kidding, i still LOVE THE MUPPETS! Oh and I am bringing home Chik-fil-a home to the family tonite!!!!!!!!!
They have the support of my Christian family who also loves my gay stepson.
Just as long as you realize a portion of the money you give them with be donated to anti equality groups, like Focus on the Family, who will use that donation to enforce laws that discriminate against your gay stepson.
Chick-fil-A's policy is that they never discriminate in their restaurants. They will take money from anyone. It's after that when they discriminate.
Should your employer be concerned about where you spend your money after you have received your paycheck?
I'll never watch another muppet show again.
I'm sure Miss Piggy will be lonely.
All right people, the whole 'gays practice hypocrisy' thing is laughably misconstrued.
It is one thing to support your own group by supporting it financially, spreading awareness, campaigning for your own rights. it's a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THING WHEN YOUR OWN GROUP IS BOLSTERED BY DISCRIMINATING AGAINST ANOTHER GROUP YOUR RELIGION HAPPENS TO OPPOSE. To attack another group is not the proper way to bolster your own. Use your noggins, people.
This is about more than their beliefs, it is about thier actions. They are giving billions of dollars to hate organizations to discriminate against gays. That is the problem. Believing is one thing, doing is another.. If they are so worried about tradidiotnal marriage then why are they only attacking gays..Do you see them fighting against divorce. No they arent. They are using the bible to justify their hate.
and your comments on a CNN message board is making a HUGE difference.
I've noticed a lot of posts about hypocrisy. But the hypocrisy accusation is equally as damning for The Jim Henson Company who says they have "celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years". If this were true, wouldn't they embrace the diversity of beliefs such as the many Americans who believe in traditional family values? Ironically, those who say that they are open and inclusive are often harshly exclusive of those who hold to conservative family values. Clearly when they say 'diversity and inclusiveness' what they really mean is 'diversity and inclusiveness' of people who agree with them. The 'open and inclusive' crowd is (sadly) no more open and inclusive than most churches, in reality they are just worked up about they things they believe in. Sounds like another religion to me.
So I should embrace your stance against diversity if I want to be embrace diversity? Makes sense.
You can now only discriminate against white males who are christians with jobs.
So basically...If Chic-fil-a were to send money to the KKK and the Jim Henson company were to stop working with them...they would still be hypocrites because they just didn't agree with them? It's not hypocritical to not support bigotry...in whatever form it takes. It is honorable...and courageous.
Yeah sure, let's embrace diversity like that. Maybe next they can send muppet toys to the KKK rally in Mississippi... right, to show support for Diversity?
Are you f'ing insane? How is it supporting diversity to endorse a group a biggots?
Well said sharkeys78!
So True!