I hate Chick-Fil-A

Okay, so most of you probably see the title of this post and think it has to do with all the anti-gay sentiment coming from Dan Cathy, the fearless leader of CFA, as it will henceforth be called (because I hate typing dashes).

Not so. At least it's not at the top of the list. I think CFA's food is nasty. I always have.

I mean, seriously, does that look appetizing?

Everyone I know is nuts for it. And all these nuts clog up the entrance to my Super Target while they wait 17 cars in line at the drive through when they could just get their lazy asses out of the car and go in and get their waffle fries.

And all of these people who are self-professed CFA devotees are now tortured because they don't want to support a business who thinks gay people shouldn't get married. Where, oh, where, will they get their precious waffle fries?

All hail the mighty waffle fry.

Here's an idea. Get them at the grocery store. They're in the frozen aisle. Then you don't have to deal with people. I hate people.

OR, novel concept, just buy 'em at CFA. From what I understand, the whole of CFA does not support Cathy's statement. Do you think the guy who cooks your waffle fries thinks gays suck? Maybe. But if so, he always thought that, and you always got your waffle fries from him.

Also, from what I understand, and call me out if I'm wrong, Cathy's own money goes to support anti-gay groups. Not CFA's business money. So if you buy at CFA, you aren't contributing money that goes to these groups. Unless you count the money that pays Cathy's salary, which I wouldn't. Everyone gets a paycheck and gets to do with it what he pleases.
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As much as I don't like CFA, I also don't like the people who are up in arms about this. CFA has long been known as a religious business. They are closed on Sunday so their employees can go to church. Is it any surprise that their leader doesn't support gay marriage? When I heard the collective gasp of WHAT?!?!?!?, I was in shock. Seriously, people? This was a surprise?

Now, I teased some of you in a Facebook comment earlier:

It's been a year since I left my job at the San Antonio Express-News, and I'm obviously still in reporter mode because I have kept my lips zipped about this Chick-Fil-A debacle - and everything else politically related. As Hearst employees, we were not allowed to show political favoritism in any way, from signs in our yards to bumper stickers to Facebook posts. That is still my natural inclination. I have some very serious thoughts about everything going on politically right now, and I might or might not share them. It's finally occurring to me that I'm in business for myself, and myself doesn't care if I open my big mouth. I'll mull this over a bit. I just didn't want anyone to think I was a political idiot because I never comment on anything even remotely political. It's just habit. I used to not be allowed to have opinions. Now I'm allowed.

So, here goes. I finally get to express my opinion about something political. I support gay marriage. I have friends who are gay with families. Two of my best friends are a lesbian couple, and they are a beautiful family with their son. I have a very close family member - whom I'll keep private because I'm not sure if she wants me to talk about her in my blog - who is in a very long-term same-sex relationship, and they have a beautiful little girl. Their home is filled with light and love, and I adore all three of them. They are a family. These two are only the beginning of a list that could go on forever. I have gay people in my life whom I love and treasure, and I want them to have the same rights I do.

I used to think it was just about marriage, and I thought, you don't need the piece of paper. Have a ceremony, put a ring on your finger and be married between the two of you and whatever God you believe in. But that's not it. These wonderful people have no rights to make legal decisions for each other, even though they live in long-term committed relationships with each other, many of them last much, much longer than married straight couples I've known. If I were a lesbian and in a committed partnership, and I'm as sick as I am, my partner would have no legal right to make medical decisions for me. And my parents have not demonstrated that they know enough about my disease to make proper medical decisions for me. How scary would that be? 

Of course, this is but one political issue in the world today, but I had to start somewhere! 

 UPDATE: After more thorough research, I discovered that CFA's charitable division has donated amounts in excess of $1 million to organizations that hold anti-gay sentiment. My prior argument still stands. It's their company and their right to do what they want with their funds. If you don't want to contribute your money to the company, seek out your waffle fries elsewhere. And I keep saying waffle fries because I can't for the life of me think of anything else CFA serves except for those nasty biscuit nugget thingies I posted a picture of above. Shudder.