Dan Cathy’s comments about the biblical definition of marriage led to a series of Chick-fil-A protests that continue even one month later. According to Reuters, large numbers of customers gathered at the restaurant in the University of Southern Mississippi campus to show their support for freedom of speech.
Dan Cathy disturbed many people when he stated that the “biblical definition of the family” has to be preserved. His declaration was soon labeled as a discriminatory one and detractors announced their intention to shut some Chick-fil-A restaurants, including the one in the University of Southern Mississippi campus.
As soon as they heard the news, customers living in the campus gathered at the Chick-fil-A restaurant to protest against the decision to close the eatery. Angela Thomson, one of the employees at the University told the press that she wanted to spend her lunch hour at the Chick-fil-A restaurant because she supports freedom of speech. In her opinion, president Dan Cathy and his chain of eateries should not be discriminated because they dared to express their personal opinion about same-sex marriage.
Other protestors shared Angela Thompson’s opinion adding a religious significance to their demonstration. 56-year-old Vickie Webb, for instance, declared that Christians should defend their beliefs. She and her husband skipped work on Wednesday because they felt Christians should be encouraged to voice their beliefs like Dan Cathy did.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is not willing to keep their hands in their pockets during these discriminatory protests. They have already announced their intention to organize a same-sex kiss-in across various Chick-fil-A restaurants on Friday. In addition, 500 people signed a petition to convince the Southern Miss to remove the Chick-fil-A restaurant from its campus. However, this is not the first petition that is signed against Dan Cathy’s eateries. Dozens of similar petitions have been signed against Chick-fil-A restaurants in various campuses across the States.
Opponents at the University of Southern Mississippi argue that Dan Cathy’s declaration contradicts the non-discriminatory policy of the university. According to Southern Miss senior Andy Bearden, they were not bothered by Cathy’s statement, but rather by the contributions he makes to anti-gay marriage groups, such as, Exodus International and the Family Research Council.
