The LGBT Empire Strikes Back: ‘Best Gay Bar in the World’ Releases the ‘Chick-For-Gay’ Sandwich
That’s it. The gloves are comin’ off.
Adding to the already massive pro-vs.-anti-gay outcry inspired by Chick-fil-A COO Dan Cathy’s controversial Baptist Press interview, West Hollywood California’s Abbey Food & Bar has just released its new chicken sandwich, cutely dubbed the “Chick-for-Gay”.
Named the “Best Gay Bar in the World” by MTV two years running, The Abbey promises that 100% of the proceeds made from the sandwich’s sales will go to the American Foundation for Equal Rights, according to the press release.
The $5, eight ounce sandwich features a breaded boneless chicken breast, served with pickles on a toasted buttered bun, and is set to be available through presidential elections this November.
The Abbey’s founder David Cooley explains:
With the upcoming election, even our lunch choices are a political statement. If corporations have the right to spend unlimited amounts of money on an agenda of hate, we as an LGBT business community have to spend money supporting Marriage Equality,” he said. “If corporations have the same free speech rights as people, the people have to exercise their First Amendment right at the cash register by patronizing businesses that support our agenda and stop giving money to those that oppose equality.
On the event page for today’s Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee made a similar point by asking attendees to come out to their local franchise to “support free speech.”
The Chick-fil-A Company thus far hasn’t thrown itself for or against either side of the most recent flame wars, except to say that it is not responsible for their promotions. In fact, it has been suggested that since the beginning of the PR firestorm, the company has been trying to save face and lie low, but it seems like not everyone is so willing to let them off the hook.
Since the infamous interview was released about two weeks ago, consumer approval for the chicken chain has gone down, according to information released by polling site YouGov.
The business world has seen what happens when an organization supports the LGBT community — which is that the LGBT community and its allies will support it,” Director of News and Field Media at GLAAD Aaron McQuade said. “Now we have empirical proof of what happens when a company rejects the LGBT community. The LGBT community and its allies will reject it.
Looking back to two weeks ago, it seems a bit hard now to swallow the fact that so much political outrage and gravity can be attributed to eating a measly chicken sandwich, but as long as this whole affair is still going strong, might as well enjoy the show.
A recent video parody by Funny or Die features actor John Goodman dressed as KFC’s Colonel Sanders jumping at the chance to promote his own chicken chain as gay-friendly—or at the very least, purely and unapologetically capitalistic:
“Hell I don’t actually give a shit,” Goodman/Sanders slyly admits near the clip’s end, “Gay or not, you’re just a bunch of big old money mounds…” As we rightly should be.
God Bless America.
[Thanks Huffington Post, US News, Gawker]
