by Adam Amel Rogers, Originally posted on Facebook
Today, thousands of people lined up around Chick-Fil-A’s across the nation (including one a few miles from my house) to show their appreciation for anti-gay comments that were made recently by Chick-Fil-A COO Dan Cathy. I have dedicated significant time and emotion in trying to look at what happened today from all angles and to understand what would make someone stand in line for hours. If you participated today or if you empathize with those who did, I encourage you to take a moment and try to understand why someone like me would choose to boycott Chick-Fil-A.
Much of what you have heard from Governor Huckabee, Governor Palin and media is that this boycott is in response to Dan Cathy’s comments. To be clear, this boycott has little to do with Dan Cathy’s predictable view on marriage equality, this boycott is about a restaurant that has donated $5 million to harm gay and lesbian families. Imagine what $5 million could do to make an actual impact on a multitude of global problems, but instead of addressing hunger or disease, Chick-fil-A decided to give millions of dollars to promote efforts to “de-gay” people, to organizations that believe being gay should be illegal and to groups that have connections with Uganda’s so-called “Kill the Gays” legislation.
Chick-Fil-A’s actions are why we are boycotting, but your actions are why I am so melancholy today. It is taxing to see some of our neighbors take time out of their day to reiterate their belief that my relationship is not worth the same recognition as theirs. It reminds me of the anguish we felt in 2008, when our neighbors put signs in their yards and bumper stickers on their cars to announce to the world that they felt that my love for my husband was not worth the same recognition as other relationships.
Luckily, our love is much stronger than everything that happened today and years down the line this will be another story to tell our grandkids about what the world used to be like.
Today, thousands of people lined up around Chick-Fil-A’s across the nation (including one a few miles from my house) to show their appreciation for anti-gay comments that were made recently by Chick-Fil-A COO Dan Cathy. I have dedicated significant time and emotion in trying to look at what happened today from all angles and to understand what would make someone stand in line for hours. If you participated today or if you empathize with those who did, I encourage you to take a moment and try to understand why someone like me would choose to boycott Chick-Fil-A.
Much of what you have heard from Governor Huckabee, Governor Palin and media is that this boycott is in response to Dan Cathy’s comments. To be clear, this boycott has little to do with Dan Cathy’s predictable view on marriage equality, this boycott is about a restaurant that has donated $5 million to harm gay and lesbian families. Imagine what $5 million could do to make an actual impact on a multitude of global problems, but instead of addressing hunger or disease, Chick-fil-A decided to give millions of dollars to promote efforts to “de-gay” people, to organizations that believe being gay should be illegal and to groups that have connections with Uganda’s so-called “Kill the Gays” legislation.
Chick-Fil-A’s actions are why we are boycotting, but your actions are why I am so melancholy today. It is taxing to see some of our neighbors take time out of their day to reiterate their belief that my relationship is not worth the same recognition as theirs. It reminds me of the anguish we felt in 2008, when our neighbors put signs in their yards and bumper stickers on their cars to announce to the world that they felt that my love for my husband was not worth the same recognition as other relationships.
Luckily, our love is much stronger than everything that happened today and years down the line this will be another story to tell our grandkids about what the world used to be like.
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