South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has come out swinging for Chick-fil-A, saying he’s prepared to “go to war” to defend the chicken sandwich brand.
Chick-fil-A has long been criticized for its past donations to anti-LGBTQ Christian groups and politicians. This has resulted in the brand being boycotted, picketed and losing lucrative contracts.
Just this week, it emerged that Democrats in New York were looking at barring Chick-fil-A from applying for contracts at rest stops. The state is considering a $450 million plan to upgrade 27 rest stops across its highway network.
Among those leading attempts to stop Chick-fil-A from operating at the rest stops is state assembly member Harry Bronson, who has launched a petition to keep Chick-fil-A out.
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After years of millions in donations to organizations hostile to LGBTQ+ rights, the decision to approve @ChickfilA as an approved concession at our rest stops is concerning to say the least.
It’s time the @NYSThruway re-examine this choice. pic.twitter.com/8sOkNRjQop
— Harry B. Bronson (@HarryBBronson) July 10, 2021
Graham was among those to criticize the move, saying on Twitter: “I hope this threat is all bluster from left-wing New York politicians. If such a disastrous move ever came about – banning a commercial business due to them exercising their First Amendment rights – it would set a horrible precedent.”
Then, it emerged some students and faculty members at the Catholic Notre Dame University in Indiana were opposing a Chick-fil-A outlet on campus. This sent Graham over the edge.
I want everyone in South Carolina and across America to know I have Chick fil-A’s back.
I hope we don’t have to, but I will go to war for the principles Chick fil-A stands for.
Great food.
Great service.
Great values.God bless Chick fil-A!
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 14, 2021
“I want everyone in South Carolina and across America to know I have Chick fil-A’s back. I hope we don’t have to, but I will go to war for the principles Chick fil-A stands for. Great food. Great service. Great values. God bless Chick fil-A!”
In 2012, Chick-fil-A’s CEO Dan Cathy said that the company was “guilty as charged” when asked if the brand opposed same-sex marriage. The ensuing backlash led people to look more closely at the company’s charitable donations. This revealed several religious groups and organizations known for their anti-LGBTQ policies.
The brand has been attempting to shift public opinion about its stance ever since. In 2019, it announced it was making a major shift in its charitable donations and would be concentrating on promoting youth education, combating youth homelessness, and fighting hunger.
Chick-fil-A has consistently denied it has a political agenda. Responding to the news of the New York rest stop plans, it issued a statement this week saying: “We want to be clear that Chick-fil-A does not have a political or social agenda, and we welcome everyone in our restaurants.”
Graham’s impassioned defense of Chick-fil-A prompted a scathing response online.
So screw January 6th but by God save the shitty chicken sandwich.
— Amanda Jo (@imamandajo) July 14, 2021
It’s a fast food restaurant you garden troll. We have real issues and you’re going to bat for a franchise in a state you don’t live in. Go get some chapstick and put your lips back on Trump’s orange ass.
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) July 14, 2021
Q: What do Linsdey Graham and Chick-fil-A have in common?
A: They are both popular with people who need to have “filet” spelled out phonetically.
— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) July 14, 2021
You are such a loser. It’s fast food, dipshit. It isn’t Pearl Harbor, you insipid little penis.
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) July 15, 2021
This is your concern? Supporting an extreme right wing business that supports hate groups? I support ND for fighting against businesses that further divide individuals and their right if freedom to choose. You sound like your all for authoritarianism. Their Campus, their choice!
— Kandid Says “Fully vaxxed, masked up for you!”❤️ (@Kandid61Kandi) July 14, 2021
In which we learn that Lindsey’s hill to die on is a fast food restaurant.
— Jarrett Bellini (@JarrettBellini) July 14, 2021
We get it dude you’re obsessed with Chick-fil-a. But people are dying of Covid. Maybe focus on telling folks to get vaccinated, instead of advertising for a fast food chain who is a donor of yours. pic.twitter.com/6udRtZIeIN
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) July 14, 2021
Homophobia isn’t a value, dude. It’s ignorant, fear-based hatred. Honestly, how do you sleep at night?
— Steve Blum (@blumspew) July 14, 2021
I think shilling for a corporation isn’t a good look for an elected representative. Goya beans and pillows are next, I suppose.
— 🌊🇺🇸The Vaccinated Carrie Sweet🇺🇸🌊 (@CarrieSweet2017) July 14, 2021
Cam
Republicans won’t vote to repair America’s infrastructure, they won’t uphold the Constitutional right to vote, they won’t support easier access to healthcare for Americans.
But they’re always ready to defend bigots and racists.
rbernard
Lindsey Graham must be a tormented piece of work.
Is there anything more stomach turning than watching a self loathing closet case, a demented man who:
* happens to be a high ranking politician,
* for political gain, denies his sexuality and uses his political capital to work against his own community’s self interest,
* and supports a network of religious bigots who work night and day against his own estranged community’s best interests to be accepted into American society as equal fellow citizens.
I imagine when this era is over with, when the history books are written, they won’t be kind to this loathsome hypocrite.
maddog
I hope the history books will not even mention him by name. They can talk about the jerks who acted like him, but someday (and the sooner the better) I want people to say “Lindsey WHO?”
To politicians and culture stars, this is a penalty worse than death.
Modernheretic
So now republiQans can get a secret blowjob and a chicken sandwich at rest-stops? But you cant feed a line of people waiting to vote?
Fahd
Looking for wedge issues to distract wherever they may be. You would think that by now all the bigots have been sufficiently worked up so that they will reliably come out to vote for these wannabe demagogues, but I guess they need to recharge the hate on an ongoing basis.
As Graham has said, the Republicans have got to do something, otherwise they’ll never win another national election again. Even though the current nationwide voter suppression project seems like it will help, I guess shilling for Chik-fil-a is also part of the program. Btw, Popeye’s is much better.
Liquid Silver
This sounds like a States Rights issue to me, Lindsay.
humble charlie
Very funny
Mister P
They care more about that chicken stand than they care about Americans having health care or any number of more important things.
radiooutmike
What the hell does he do with his time when he’s not shilling for a chicken joint?
Max
when there’s an orange asterisk no longer available for direct mouth-smudging against, there’s chicken sammies to save.
MISTERJETT
when did republicans get so dumb?
scotty
born that way.
stafcoyote
Lindsey Graham is a perfect leper and a mere sodomite. (I use the word “sodomite” deliberately, to mean a closeted self-loathing homosexual). Lindsey, you have less to lose from coming out than from being vulnerable to blackmail.
LMG
You have to feel sorry for Lindsey. As Bill Maher told us, poor Lindsey grew up always being teased by his friends, fellow classmates, and even his family. They were always calling him names, like “Lindsey”.
humble charlie
“Oh I thought it was “Dick-fil-A”, my mistake!”
DarkZephyr
I don’t get why so many people think chick-filet is so damned good. The one time I ever tried it, it tasted like pre-made frozen breaded chicken patties you buy in bulk and cheap from the frozen section of the grocery store and the waffle fries tasted no different from frozen waffle fries. The lemonade was good but it tasted like the lemonade you get when you mix ReaLemon brand bottled lemon juice with water and sugar.
Consider This
You’re right. There is far better out there and for less $$.
Kangol2
I think it’s because they don’t know any better.
BoomerMyles
On a purely capitalist business basis Chik-a-fil loses airport and highway contracts because they are not open on Sunday which is the busiest travel day of the week! Why would you give a concession that can’t serve the public on the busiest demand days?
That should be a reason these repugs should understand.
Leash
I’m sorry but as a someone not located in the US, when you think of american stereotypes it doesn’t get better than that headline.
joeboyle49
LINDSY IS A CHIL-FIL-A AND HES NOT GOING TO CHANGE NOWNTHAT TRUMP PROBABLY THREATENED HIM HES TOO AFRAID TO STAND UP TYO TRUMP AND THE REST OF THE HOMOPHOBES!!
GayEGO
Oh Oh! Linda Graham Cracker is backing Chick-fill-A? Good riddance to them, Graham will fail.
jockjack5
I have a sneaking suspicion that Graham has had extensive experience at rest-stops over the years, so perhaps we should recognize his expertise on this issue.
After all, he is single-handedly responsible for there being no paper-towel dispensers in any of the men’s restrooms at rest-stops across the state of South Carolina; seems the late night visitors were using too many paper towels to clean up their “messes” in the rest-room stalls, especially at the popular Welcum Centers.
Roy Moss
Why would this be a surprise? All conservatives are just rotten human beings motivated by nothing more than ignorance, greed and hate.
Ryan99
It’s crappy fast food. Who cares?
BaltoSteve
Haha.. go to war.. the closest to the armed forces she ever came was the semen on her face and in her ass!
OhHellNo
Is it really news that Miss Ida Claire is into chicken?
(Side note to the restaurant: for an entity that hates gays, why do you hire so many of them?)