That's what Dan Cathy, president of Chick -fil-A, did when he took a public stance against same-sex marriage. "In a new interview with Baptist Press, Cathy puts on the record what critics say his company’s actions have indicated for years. 'Well, guilty as charged,' he said in the interview when asked about Chick-fil-A’s backing of families led by a man and a woman. 'We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives,' Cathy said...
"'We don’t claim to be a Christian business,' Cathy said. 'But as an organization we can operate on biblical principles.'" (http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-chick-fil-a-gay-20120718,0,3020372.story)
Chick-fil-A has been long known for being closed on Sundays. That's an inconvenience for some customers. But Cathy's comments on gay marriage have rekindled a hot debate. He made himself some friends for standing up for his faith. But he probably also lost some former customers with his open views on gay people.
The Bulldog Reporter's Daily Dog said, "The Jim Henson Co., whose Muppet characters have been featured as toys in the chain's kids' meals, was particularly bothered by the stance, and their relationship appears to be coming to an end as a result. '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, CNN reports." The Henson posting drew more than 10,000 likes and 2,000 comments as of Tuesday morning.
Chick-fil-A's Facebook page sings from a different hymnal. "Another rumor related to Chick-fil-A that is currently in the media is related to the Jim Henson Kid's Meal prizes. We want to set the facts straight. Chick-fil-A made the choice to voluntarily withdraw the Jim Henson Kid's Meal puppets for potential safety concerns for our customers on Thursday, July 19. On July 20, Chick-fil-A was notified of the Jim Henson Company's decision to no longer partner with us on future endeavors." (https://www.facebook.com/ChickfilA)
Boston has no Chick-fil-A restaurants, and after Cathy's comments, Boston's mayor said he doesn't want any. According the The Boston Herald, he said, "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 said.
According to today's edition of the Daily Dog, criticism "has been quick and unmerciful from gay-rights advocates and others who simply disagree with the company's high-profile voicing of its exclusionary viewpoints. Multiple comments are pouring in every minute on the chain's Facebook page.
The Chick-fil-A Facebook page posting quoted above has 17,000 likes and 6,000 comments. It was posted two hours before. A sampling goes like this:
- "As for you closed minded homophobic uneducated haters it is a proven fact people are born gay bi lesbian whatever. And many of them even live normal lives and are even Christian!"
- "Believe what you believe but that was a terrible business move. Hope your doors close all over America."
- "Poor crisis management on CFA's part is all I see here."
- "y do we get upset when someone wishes to voice their opinion on the subject, n respectfully say they do not agree with gay marriages. Y can't we let people have their opinion? Not everyone has to like what others do."
- "Gay people also go to church and they are Christians too... wow must make those Christians pretty up set that god even allows those gays to sit in church with the rest of the normal wife beaters, drunks, and drug dealers."
Most of the Facebook comments are critical, but many are supportive. Count New York Mayor Mayor Michael Bloomburg ( none of "the government's business.") in Chick-fil-A's corner or at least neutral, but the mayors of San Francisco and Chicago joined Boston's mayor in criticizing the chain.
At the University of Louisville, a petition to oust Chick-fil-A from the student union building had 900 signatures as of this morning. Other businesses are looking to cash in on the opposite viewpoint of Chick-fil-A's.
"Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos became the biggest financial backer of gay marriage in the country today when he and his wife MacKenzie pledged $2.5 million to support Washington state’s same-sex marriage referendum.... Target is broadcasting its support for equal marriage rights with a wedding registry ad featuring two smiling men dressed in suits and bow ties holding hands and touching foreheads." (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/07/target-and-amazon-are-the-opposites-of-chick-fil-a-on-gay-marriage/)
I won't make the same mistake Cathy made and express my opinion on gay marriages, which would mean nothing to anybody nor change anyone's view anyway. I'll just say that I think Cathy made a business mistake in condemning gay marriages. But he didn't make a mistake in being brave enough to express his biblical opinion, which he probably knew would be controversial.
As a Christian, I support Cathy's right to express his opinions. But as a crisis communicator, I would tiptoe around that bear and let him sleep.
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