It Ain't That Good

Chick-fil-a is in the news today. In case you did not know why, it is because today is Chick-fil-a Appreciation/Depreciation Day. It is the day in which people are going to Chick-fil-a because they just so happen to love it or love the politics attached to the company and its CEO (that of supporting, politically and financially, traditional marriage and policies relating to the concept) OR people are protesting or boycotting the company because of said alignment with traditional and conservative ideology.

I am in the latter camp. I stopped eating years ago because I could not reconcile within myself the fact that I was willingly giving my money to a corporation that works against my right to marry a man I love. I had to hold myself responsible for what I was doing, so I made the decision to step away from that company in light of its glaring and well-known stance on same-sex marriage. A lot of people disagree.

Some people think the issue is about free-speech. Not so. The founder can say whatever he wants. It's that the company is willingly and consciously giving money to organizations like Exodus International and Focus on the Family that actively work against rights for LGBT people in America, specifically same-sex marriage. Other people don't care about the issue and just like Chick-fil-a.

For me, it is about being a conscious consumer, being a gay man, and having principles that I find would be violated by me if I decide to give my money to such a company. This, of course, raises other issues. Where else am I spending my money? What about other companies who share Chick-fil-a's perspective on same-sex marriage? What about companies that work to deprive the rights of other groups in America (we've already known and heard about Wal-Mart and its relationship to undocumented immigrants)? To this I have to say: it's a lot easier to stop eating at Chick-fil-a than it is to stop shopping at Wal-Mart. This is in no way a justification.

What if you live in a town where there is only Wal-Mart, and you know that Wal-Mart readily exercises policies and gives money to organizations that work against your rights? What if another grocery store an hour away does not do so? This is already ceasing to be a black/white issue. You must balance your resources, availability of product, and location, among other things, in deciding to boycott or refuse to give money to an organization. The fact of the matter is: how many places can you visit where Chick-fil-a is the ONLY place to get fast food? I'll wait.

Going there today sends a very big message: You don't care. This could be active or implicit, but the message is still there. By choosing to support Chick-fil-a today, you are choosing to give money to a company that works against same-sex marriage and other rights for LGBT people, but as more deliberate act. Tomorrow, eating at Chick-fil-a would mean the same things, but carry much less emotional relevance and salience. Today, it is much more than the slap in the face I usually call it.

I'm not gonna lose any sleep, friends, or family members over eating at Chick-fil-a. My boyfriend eats there occasionally, we just prolly won't eat there togther. I'm not going to stop anyone from doing so. All I ask is that you remain aware of where your money goes. I have to do the same. I have to be aware of where I am spending my money and what I am implicitly supporting. Sometimes I can research. Other times, people have to bring this to my attention. And in some cases, I will literally have no choice but to spend my money at some place that essentially hates part of who I am (like that one time I had to get gas at an Exxon, dangerously close to running out of gas an hour away from home).

Americans can take a lot more responsibility for things than they think they can. All it takes is a little bit of effort. I love Chick-fil-a. It's fucking good.

It just ain't that good.