By adamg on Fri., 7/20/2012 - 7:59 am
The mayor is vowing to block the chicken chain from opening a location on the Freedom Trail after its president said gay marriage could bring God's wrath down on America, the Herald reports. The chain is looking at replacing the Purple Shamrock near Faneuil Hall.
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Care to rethink your position
By MattyC
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 12:11pm
Care to rethink your position re: the majority of Americans?
Y'know, I've gone back and
By M
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 8:50am
Y'know, I've gone back and forth on my reaction to this news. For me, one of the things that makes a difference is that in Massachusetts, sexual orientation is a protected class. So if the Chik-fil-A president had said the same thing but about [people of a certain race]/people with disabilities/[people of a certain religion], would that make a difference?
Then again, the company alleges they don't have any discriminatory practices that would get them in hot water with the law, and lots of assholes run businesses in this state, so why make a stink about this one? It does seem a little dictatorial.
You have it right in the end
By Kaz
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 9:18am
Chick-Fil-A has never refused to serve a gay person. As far as I can tell from a basic search on Google, they have never discriminated against a gay employee or discriminated against hiring one either. Until they were to do either of these things here in MA, sexual orientation's class status is irrelevant. They abide by the law when it comes to gays as a group of people.
The uproar is how the company chooses to spend its money after it has made it. It's a valid complaint and one which would make you think hard before patronizing their business, knowing what they will do with part of the money. It's a reason that the landlord might want to avoid renting to them if they have a problem with that knowledge, like in the case of Northeastern University. But it's nothing the government should be able to stop or block.
Now, if Menino would like to let us all know who the landlord is and what else he owns around town so we know who might be considering getting in bed with Chick-Fil-A and so we all can let the landlord know what we think of someone who would choose to do business with them, that would be entirely legitimate, I think. Hell, we could already start a boycott for the fact that he raised the Purple Shamrock's rent 60% causing them to close!
Employment...
By R Hookup
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 1:20pm
But have they ever refused to employ anyone because of sexual orientation? And, are they willing to provide a married gay person the same health insurance and other benefits they provide to all their employees? I would assume they are since they are already operating in Burlington, but it would be interesting to see.
Flood them with same sex couple applicants as soon as they plan to open and watch them squirm.
Hostile working environment?
By eekanotloggedin
Sat, 07/21/2012 - 2:43pm
It's not enough to just say they are willing to hire anyone. They've already created a hostile working environment based on these statements. No LGBT folks or allies are going to feel welcomed and feel confident that they'd be treated fairly as employees there.
I think the KKK analogy was pretty apt, really. So, it would be OK if the KKK set up a storefront here, as long as they assured us that they wouldn't refuse to hire any of the swarms of Black people who came rushing in to fill out applications?
To your point....
By anon
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 9:58am
If the president of Anon Fried Chicken had stated in the press that he didn't particularly care for Asian people, or black people....should that company then be barred from opening a restaurant? I'd still say no. As another poster stated, if he's opening a legal restaurant within the current building and health codes, he should be allowed open just like anyone else. Ideally he piles a ton of money into the place and people protest the opening or just withhold business and he's forced to close, but when government starts getting involved and "blocking" legal businesses from operating, there's a problem.
Their Religion isn't an issue
By anon
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 9:25am
Their blatant statements that they intend to disobey the labor laws by discriminating against gay and even unmarried employees (their stated policy!) is enough to tell them to cluck themselves.
In fact, Chick Fil A wouldn't have even employed Jesus, as he was single and lived an alternative lifestyle.
Funny how "God's Wrath on America" seems to be falling on the doorstep of the self-proclaimed most righteous areas. Hmmm.
Speaking as a married, gay
By jdrinboston
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 9:37am
Speaking as a married, gay man.
....If I were in the mayors position, I would be less concerned about the CEO's remarks, and more concerned with having a business in a prime tourist location go dark every Sunday.
The financial district has enough shuddered storefronts on Sunday, we don't need one across from Fanueil Hall.
Hey Mumbles, while you're at it...
By Bluto
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 9:49am
How about making life difficult-to-impossible for the labor/immigration criminals that run the Upper Crust? The're actually breaking the law, not just being socially retarded.
Can we shut them down?
FAT Food
By anon
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 10:12am
In addition to the gay issue, the food served there is fast food....we have enough fast food places on that block - I believe the McDonald's is still next door....can't we get a place to serve nutritional food there instead of food that won't rot after two years in the sun!
McDonalds
By MattyC
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 10:57am
That McD's shut down. Going to be replaced with a generic, cookie cutter, closed after 5 and on weekends bank branch.
awesome
By anon²
Sat, 07/21/2012 - 5:45pm
So we have a local pub and an almost always open Mc'd's closed, and we replace it with a chain restaurant that's not open much and a bank.
Sounds like downtown is doing just fine....
I find Chick-Fil-A's position
By anon
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 10:13am
I find Chick-Fil-A's position reprehensible but I don't think I like the idea of politicians making licensing/zoning choices based on the political stance of business owners.
Many commenters have already
By AlexMMMM
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 10:41am
Many commenters have already pointed out the inappropriateness of the mayor personally (and illegally) blocking a restaurant from opening because of the owner's political views (views which I find repulsive, if it matters). But what about this: We have a mayor who openly, without fear, states that he will break the law by standing in their way. This is the same mayor who participated in a video that compared him to the Godfather for blocking Don Chiofaro's harbor plan because Chiofaro didn't pay him the proper respect by bringing him the plan before he brought it to the public.
Lots of big city mayors play favorites and bend the rules. Ours openly promises to break the rules and admits to punishing people who he doesn't like, and we accept it. Shame on us.
all these replies and I didn't see one person..
By polarbare
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 1:18pm
mention the bigger picture here.
The Catholic Church is against gay marriage as well! I think Mayor Mumbles, in his infinte wisdom, should ban all Catholics from opening businesses in Boston as well. I mean, MA is the home of everyone is equal in every way all the time, correct? If that's true then we need to get the Catholics out ASAP! /snark
I disagree with Chick's attitude towards gay marriage but singling them out on this issue is ridiculous, the mayor's office should get to work fixing the city's issues, and letting the people speak with their wallets like everywhere else.
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