I, for one, am not outraged that Dan Cathy doesn't support gay marriage. He has every right to his personal opinion, although I think he's dead wrong. What I am outraged about is the fact that his company donates millions of dollars a year to anti-gay hate groups, and I choose not to patronize his restaurants, so that my hard-earned money isn't included within the millions they donate to organizations I find abhorrent.

DawnP did you vote for Obama? Last election he was opposed to gay marriage, he changed his position only very recently. Did you vote for Barb Mikulski? She's a lesbian who voted for DOMA. Did you vote for Clinton? DOMA was his baby. Who cares about one guy spending his own money. These elected scumbags who legally force their beliefs on the rest of us are the problem.

On Friday, September 20, 1996, prior to signing the Defense of Marriage Act, President Clinton released the following statement:

"Throughout my life I have strenuously opposed discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans. I am signing into law H.R. 3396, a bill relating to same-gender marriage, but it is important to note what this legislation does and does not do.

I have long opposed governmental recognition of same-gender marriages and this legislation is consistent with that position. The Act confirms the right of each state to determine its own policy with respect to same gender marriage and clarifies for purposes of federal law the operative meaning of the terms "marriage" and "spouse".

"This legislation does not reach beyond those two provisions. It has no effect on any current federal, state or local anti-discrimination law and does not constrain the right of Congress or any state or locality to enact anti-discrimination laws. I therefore would take this opportunity to urge Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, an act which would extend employment discrimination protections to gays and lesbians in the workplace. This year the Senate considered this legislation contemporaneously with the Act I sign today and failed to pass it by a single vote. I hope that in its next Session Congress will pass it expeditiously.

I also want to make clear to all that the enactment of this legislation should not, despite the fierce and at times divisive rhetoric surrounding it, be understood to provide an excuse for discrimination, violence or intimidation against any person on the basis of sexual orientation. Discrimination, violence and intimidation for that reason, as well as others, violate the principle of equal protection under the law and have no place in American society."

Thanks for posting that, Brook. I didn't realize how hypocritical Clinton was. "I have long opposed government recognition of same sex marriages" yet "I oppose discrimination of any kind". Whatever, slick Willie.

I wish government would get out of marriage all together. Gay and hetero.

Then don't go there. But picketing a legitimate business and trying to hurt them financial because of their religious and personal beliefs is as pathetic as it gets. You cann't force them to change their minds. Gays and lesbians want to be 'accepted' but apparently they do not want to accept. My position is fast moving away from supporting them.

@Tricia, It was sarcasm. I guess you dont watch Jon Stewart. @Ronald, this has nothing to do with "free speach". The President of Chic-fil-a has every right to say what he said. However, I have the right to choose not to spend money in his establishment. Furthermore, we have the right in this to country to protest/boycott this company. I accept his position and beliefs, but I dont have to support them with my hard earned money.

ditto!

Well, there is a silver lining! You will end up with type 2 Diabetes, and heart disease, and very soon I will be able to mary my partner of 12 years legally. Win win!

Andrew, why would you ever identify development of heart disease/diabetes as a 'silver lining' or a 'win'?

Andrew - you always could marry your partner of 12 years. Just choose a State that is not opposed to it and stop looking for excuses to hate those that have a different opinion than yours. Talk about bigotry.

@Ronald, I should have the right, just as youu do, to marry in whatever state I choose. End of story. Since when do we as americans vote on civil rights for other Americans? Its absurd.

Good comment; and I noticed the same thing. If homosexual folks dont' want to purchase food at Chick-fil-A, that's OK - that is their choice. But taking their private sexual business in the public is gross - that belongs in private behind closed doors.

Kissing is "private sexual business"? Since when? Are we supposed to be shielding our children from anyone holding hands or nuzzling noses?

I think there is one in Ellicott City. You can see it from 103. I went today, and enjoyed some lemonade.

Could you please explain how people taking photos of them kissing outside a restaurant chain is an "expression of hatred"? Seriously, I would like to see the logical conclusion how a peaceful protest is somehow representative of hate and discrimination.

I am confused by this schema, as it seems hypocritical.

It is OK for the President of a company to say he is opposed to gay-marriage, because that's his right.

It is OK for authorities within said company to contribute funds to groups opposed to gay-marriage, because that's their right.

However, if someone does not want to give money to the company because of what the President said and/or what the company does with their funds... they're being discriminatory?

If those same people wish to peacefully protest the company and/or it's President for their actions... they're being hateful?

Again, show me the logic and critical thinking in this train of thought.

This is SO not about free speech. The First Amendment guarantees you the right to express yourself without content-based government restrictions. It does NOT guarantee you the right to express your opinion without consequences. NO ONE is saying Dan Cathy is not entitled to his opinion. NO ONE is even saying he's not entitled to spend his company profits to fund hate groups. All we are saying is that we don't want our money going to a company that chooses to spend its profits that way. (And we want to raise awareness about the millions in contributions to hate groups so that people know what their money is helping to fund if they spend it at CFA.)

So the real question is, for those of you who say you will continue to patronize CFA, and those of you who participated in the "CFA Appreciation Day," NOW THAT YOU KNOW that they donate millions to anti-gay groups, will you still continue to spend your money there? If so, how will you continue to look your LGBT friends, family, and neighbors in the eye, having made the choice that a chicken sandwich is more important to you than their rights?

Fast food is a luxury. Gasoline is not. It is fallacy to equate the two when it comes to protesting them.

Protesting Chik-Fil-A is no different than the protest by One Million Mom's of J.C. Penny's or numerous groups that protested Abercrombie & Fitch over the last decade. When a corporation does something you don't agree with it is well within your rights to protest them, whether it be silent or vocal.

DawnP Chick-fil-A's continued success will be driven by their product and service neither of which has anything to do with sexuality and/or religious beliefs. Chick-fil-A's superior product and great service is what dictates their ongoing success. Perhaps you should attempt to view the issue from Chick-fil-A's perspective. What if you were the CEO and were told your business was unwelcome because you supported gay rights? A business succeeds or fails based on sales not values. I know that is an unpopular politically incorrect view, but it is a fact.