Sorry, that was thoughtless of me. :( This was a letter from the mayor of Boston to the president of Chick-Fil-A in response to the company seeking to open store locations in the city, after its statements of opposition to gay marriage:
Mr. Dee Cathy, President Chick-Fil-A 5200 Buffington Road Atlanta, GA 30349
To Mr. Cathy: In recent days you said Chick fil-A opposes same-sex marriage and said the generation that supports it as an “arrogant attitude.”
Now - incredibly - your company says you are backing out of the same-sex marriage debate. I urge you to back out of your plans to locate in Boston.
You called supporters of gay marriage “prideful.” Here in Boston, to borrow your own words, we are “guilty as charged.” We are indeed full of pride for our support of same sex marriage and our work to expand freedom to all people. We are proud that our state and our city have led the way for the country on equal marriage rights.
I was angry to learn on the heels of your prejudiced statements about your search for a site to locate in Boston. There is no place for discrimination on Boston’s Freedom Trail and no place for your company alongside it. When Massachusetts became the first state in the country to recognize equal marriage rights, I personally stood on City Hall Plaza to greet same sex couples here to be married. It would be an insult to them and to our city’s long history of expanding freedom to have a Chick fil-A across the street from that spot.
Sincerely, Thomas M. Menino Mayor, City of Boston
I've gotten so used to cities bending over backwards to accommodate companies in the name of promoting business, regardless of those businesses' policies and practices or the (often offensive) political advocacy of their senior management, that to read this was a welcome and refreshing surprise .. one politician who wasn't afraid to speak out in favor of the people who elected him and demonstrate by his actions the integrity of his office and tell a company run by homophobic bigots that it's a bad fit for the culture and traditions of his city. :)
Mr. Dee Cathy, President
Chick-Fil-A
5200 Buffington Road
Atlanta, GA 30349
To Mr. Cathy:
In recent days you said Chick fil-A opposes same-sex marriage and said the generation that supports it as an “arrogant attitude.”
Now - incredibly - your company says you are backing out of the same-sex marriage debate. I urge you to back out of your plans to locate in Boston.
You called supporters of gay marriage “prideful.” Here in Boston, to borrow your own words, we are “guilty as charged.” We are indeed full of pride for our support of same sex marriage and our work to expand freedom to all people. We are proud that our state and our city have led the way for the country on equal marriage rights.
I was angry to learn on the heels of your prejudiced statements about your search for a site to locate in Boston. There is no place for discrimination on Boston’s Freedom Trail and no place for your company alongside it. When Massachusetts became the first state in the country to recognize equal marriage rights, I personally stood on City Hall Plaza to greet same sex couples here to be married. It would be an insult to them and to our city’s long history of expanding freedom to have a Chick fil-A across the street from that spot.
Sincerely,
Thomas M. Menino
Mayor, City of Boston
I've gotten so used to cities bending over backwards to accommodate companies in the name of promoting business, regardless of those businesses' policies and practices or the (often offensive) political advocacy of their senior management, that to read this was a welcome and refreshing surprise .. one politician who wasn't afraid to speak out in favor of the people who elected him and demonstrate by his actions the integrity of his office and tell a company run by homophobic bigots that it's a bad fit for the culture and traditions of his city. :)
Reply
Leave a comment