Boston U. Denies Chick Fill-A Permission to Sell Chicken With A Bun of Homophobia
Northeastern University's student newspaper Reports Today that Boston University has decided to deny 'Chck Fil-A' permission to do business in the school.
The fast food chain Chick-fil-A was in talks with the school to open the franchise's only Boston location at the school.
The chain is controversial because because it donates millions of dollars to groups that are considered anti-gay, including $994,199 dollars in 2009 to the Marriage & Family Legacy Fund, a group that supports "traditional marriage," as well as funds to Exodus International, a group that believes GLBT folks can be "cured" by religion, the Family Research Council, and Focus On The Family.
It also has controversial hiring policies, including a belief mentioned in a Forbes article on the chain that married workers are "more industrious and productive."
The Forbes article also states that "Family members of prospective operators--children, even--are frequently interviewed so Cathy [S. Truett Cathy, Chick-fil-A's CEO] and his family can learn more about job candidates and their relationships at home," and that Cathy would fire an operator who "has been sinful.” adamfoxie*
Freshman Hillary Dworkoski launched a petition on Change.org about a month ago after it was reported that Chick-Fil-A donated almost $2 million in 2009 to organizations like Focus On The Family, Exodus International and the Family Research Council. Critics of those organizations say the groups have anti-gay motives.
"NYU prides itself on being a diverse, open and inclusive campus community. That's one of the major reasons why I enrolled at NYU as a freshman last fall," Dworkoski said on the petition website. "Unfortunately, maintaining a contract with an anti-gay vendor like Chick-fil-A undermines what makes this university so great."
The petition, which has garnered nearly 11,000 signatures, calls on NYU to remove Chick-Fil-A from its campus. For students who are on the fence about supporting the chain's removal, Dworkoski poses this choice: waffle fries or human rights?
"She wants students to know they have to make that choice and live by those values and not just talk about them," said Mark Anthony Dingbaum, a campaign manager with Change.org.
On Thursday, supporters of the petition plan to rally outside NYU's Weinstein Residence Hall, which houses Chick-Fil-A.
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