As many of you have been reading in the headlines, apparently Chick-Fil-A’s president made remarks about the family unit that upset the LGBT community.  Below is his actual quote…

“We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that,” Cathy is quoted as saying. (link)

The same article points out an obvious point about Chick-Fil-A as well: this is a private company that has never… ever… been shy about stating it is a business espousing Christian beliefs.  It is also not a secret that evangelistic Christians are not supportive of same-sex marriage or really the idea of homosexuality in any capacity.

Now that Dan Cathy, the fast food chain’s president, has stated the obvious and put it in print, now suddenly some students at NC State want to ban them from campus.  According to WGHP, Jose Chavira, a graduate student at NC State, has started a petition to ban Chick-Fil-A from campus.

“There’s quite a large LGBT community on campus and it’s almost offensive in a sense that our university is willing to maintain this relationship with an organization that blatently discriminates against a portion of our student body,” Chavira said. (link)

Here is the problem with Jose’s logic: who is Chick-Fil-A discriminating against?  If a man, woman, Caucasian, African-American, straight, homosexual, or “other” (whatever the Hell that is) wants to buy a grilled chicken tossed salad and pretend that it’s healthy, I’ve never known the Atrium staff to turn anyone away.  Jose is missing a point that many college students miss: just because you find out something about someone doesn’t mean they are suddenly a different person.

IF YOU WOULDN’T TREAT YOUR FRIEND DIFFERENT, WHY WOULD YOU TREAT A BUSINESS DIFFERENT?

When I was a junior at NC State, I found out that a somewhat-close friend and classmate was gay.  You know what changed between us?  Nothing.  We didn’t stop going to the gym, studying together, or hanging out after class.  This is, of course, the way that any LGBT organization would say that things should be.  We should be open and accepting about difference in opinion and lifestyles.

So that said, why is it that activists have now learned that Chick-Fil-A’s president has a certain lifestyle and belief system and wants to shun them from campus?  As the old adage goes, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.  If those who disagree with homosexuality are expected to be tolerant and accepting of homosexuals, then homosexuals need to be understanding of those with differing opinions.  If Chick-Fil-A was truly “discriminating” against homosexuals by denying them services, it wouldn’t only be unethical, it would be un-Christian.  That being said, Chick-Fil-A is doing no such thing.

NC State students are smart and make even smarter alumni.  Jose, and others, may be learning a harsh lesson here that sometimes people don’t agree with you and just because they don’t agree with you doesn’t make them hate monger-ers.  If you want to see hate, try taking Chick-Fil-A away from 35,000 students trying to grab a quick bite between classes in the Atrium.  I promise you that will create some real hate.