The next chapter in the national debate over Chick-fil-A and its
chief executive's opposition to gay marraige comes Friday, when gay rights activists
are planning a "kiss in" event.
Activists are planning a "National Same-Sex Kiss Day at
Chick-fil-A" on Friday. As part of the event, couples are encouraged to go
one of the chicken restaurant's locations and take a photo or video of
themselves kissing.
"Let's show Chick-fil-A thanks for their support of Love,
Equality, and the Real Definition of Marriage! Invite your friends!"
organizers said on its Facebook page.
The move comes after thousands of restaurant supporters came out to
back the CEO's stance. In some cases, there were long lines at locations.
Vicki Parsons, a Tustin resident who runs a small Internet
technology company in Santa Ana, stood in line with her daughter for an hour
and 10 minutes at a Costa Mesa location but said it was well worth the wait.
"The ability for a company to be able to believe what they want
to believe and still have their doors open to whoever wants to or chooses to
give their business -- that's why I'm here," she said. "Yes, I am a
Christian, but my strongest support stems from being a business owner. I want
to believe what I want to believe and not be condemned for what I believe, and
give people the freedom of choice, if they want to do business with us."
Newport Beach resident Ian Conger cited both business and religion
as his reasons for dining Wednesday at the relatively new Costa Mesa location.
"This company is family-owned, and they're putting their money
where they want to, and that's their right," he said. "Nobody should
tell someone how they should spend their money. God is very good to my wife and
I, and I feel God's going to be with us through this and he'll be with the
opposer as well. He doesn't hate anybody."
Lake Forest resident Deanna Kirchen stood in line with her children
to support the restaurant for religious reasons.
"I've been in line for over an hour, and I'm only about
three-quarters of the way through," she said. "I'm hungry and yes, we
came here for lunch, but I wanted to support Chick-fil-A for having the cojones
to stand up for biblical values."
Chick-fil-A drew criticism after Chief Executive Dan Cathy recently
said he and his company were against gay marriage. The comments drew strong
reactions, with customers pledging to boycott the chain and some mayors
proclaiming they would not allow Chick-fil-A to open in their cities.
In response, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee declared Wednesday
to be Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, calling on people to eat at the restaurant
to show support.
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