How does this happen? Chick-fil-A branded as anti-gay?

[Asher]

Lots of places effectively don't serve deaf people, or serve them poorly, because of the issue of communication. Rochester has a very large deaf population, so a lot of businesses have things like dual typewriters so deaf people can communicate with the clerks. But in most places it can be very difficult. Gay people don't have problems driving where they can't hear sirens or horns. Gay people don't have issues with getting blindsided by buses when crossing the street. Gay people don't have issues simply communicating with the vast majority of the population.

I'm trying to understand the point of this post, but I can't.

Gay people and deaf people have different societal issues that aren't their fault. The point is deaf people are treated as equals under the law, while gay people are not. When there are issues with deaf people, it's not discrimination because they are deaf -- it's practicality issues. People may have issues communicating, but that can't be avoided. This is entirely different than actively discriminating against a segment of the population because of personal issues.

Further, some gay people are known to prance willy-nilly and are very likely to be hit by a bus while crossing the street. It's incredibly difficult to talk to flamboyant gay people because they will fixate on your apparel, so it's not fair to say they don't have issues communicating with the vast majority of the population.

[The Mad Monk]

Congratulations to the Mayor of Chicago, et al, for turning this into a Freedom of Speech / Freedom of Religion Issue.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/watercooler/2012/aug/1/picket-chicago-gop-file-human-rights-complaint-aga/

http://wlsam.com/Article.asp?id=2504839

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/01/nyc-council-speaker-christine-quinn-asks-nyu-to-evict-chick-fil/

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/01/chick-fil-appreciation-day-brings-out-supporters-more-protestors/

[Asher]

GOP trying to suppress their freedom of speech.

[The Mad Monk]

They do have great waffle fries.

[The Mad Monk]

Chick-fil-A Supporters Line Up for Appreciation Day

Customers stand in a long line at the Chick-fil-A in Columbus, Ga., Aug. 1, 2012. (Mike Haskey/AP Images)

By AMY BINGHAM (@Amy_Bingham)
Aug. 1, 2012
People across the country are flocking to Chick-fil-A today, not because of the fast-food chain's chicken sandwiches, but because of its CEO's vocal support of traditional marriage.

More than 630,000 supporters signed up to celebrate Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day today, which former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee created to counter a boycott launched by gay marriage activists last week after Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy said he was "guilty as charged" for not supporting gay marriage.

"The goal is simple," Huckabee wrote on the Facebook page for the event. "Let's affirm a business that operates on Christian principles and whose executives are willing to take a stand for the Godly values we espouse by simply showing up and eating at Chick Fil-A on Wednesday, August 1."



At the Chick-fil-A restaurant in Crystal City, Virginia - the closest non-University franchise to Washington, D.C. - a steady line snaked down the block for nearly three hours as supporters lined up for the anti-boycott. The line was long but peaceful. There were no protestors, no signs, no shouting and no crowd control necessary.

Courtney Clem, 22, strolled over to the Chick-fil-A in Crystal City, Va., to pick up lunch for her entire office and show her support. Clem said she wanted to eat at Chick-fil-A today not only because she supports traditional marriage but because she supports the First Amendment.

"We want to support their right to an opinion," Clem said. "I do support that opinion. And the right. Even if it was an opinion I disagreed with, I'd be here today. "

Clem said the Appreciation Day has been a success because Chick-fil-A supporters are responding to the opposition "causing such a stink about it, getting so upset about him voicing his opinion."

"I think it's more about people frankly being offended that people are offended," she said before hauling a tote-sized bag of chicken sandwiches out the door.

But not all passersby were supportive of Chick-fil-A. Beth Matt, 27, who walked past Chick-fil-A's long line on her way to work, said the conservative-backed appreciation day was "not something I want to be a part of."

"Don't get me wrong I like the food," Matt said. "But this is just outrageous

Matt said she did not support Cathy's traditional marriage comments but was not surprised they made such a stir.

"I guess were getting toward an election season and things are just going to get more and more polarized so sure let Chick-fil-A be another martyr," Matt said. "Chick-fil-A is just another silly thing that people can get polarized about and make arguments about."

"It makes me kind of sad," Matt added. "I really like their chicken!"

But the recent outcry nor the company's support for traditional marriage are going to keep Matt away from "really good chicken" forever.

"Maybe after this dies down, maybe after November I'll come back to Chick-fil-A," she said.

Cathy's comments that he supports "the biblical definition of the family unit" are not unusual: His restaurant is closed on Sundays and supports a nonprofit ministry foundation. But they have become a rallying cry for activists on both sides of the marriage debate in the past week.

Gay rights groups launched a national boycott of the chicken chain last week, which the mayors of Chicago, San Francisco, Boston and Washington, D.C., have publically supported.

Get more pure politics at ABC News.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com

The Philadelphia City Council is considering a resolution to condemn the company for what councilman Jim Kenney called their "Anti-American attitude."

D.C. councilman Marion Barry tweeted that he does not support "hate chicken," Boston's Mayor Thomas Menino said there is "no place for your company" in his city and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the restaurant's "values are not Chicago values."

The Chicago Republican Party is making a formal complaint against Emanuel today, alleging that the mayor has "broken civil rights laws pertaining to religious freedom and the First Amendment in denying Chick-fil-A a permit to operate its business in the City of Chicago."

Emanuel's press secretary clarified that the mayor does not intend to block Chick-fil-A from opening its first free-standing location in Chicago.

"If they meet all the usual requirements, then they can open their restaurant, but he does not believe the CEO's values are reflective of our city," mayoral spokesman Tarrah Cooper said, according to the Chicago Sun Times.

National conservative figures have responded to the controversy with an outpouring of support for the restaurant.

Sarah Palin posted a photo of her and her husband holding bulging bags of Chick-fil-A on her Facebook page and said in a Fox News interview Tuesday that the boycott " has a chilling effect on our 1st Amendment rights."

"The owner of the Chick-fil-A business had merely voiced his personal opinion about supporting traditional definition of marriage, one boy, one girl, falling in love, getting married," Palin told Fox's Greta Van Susteren."And having voiced support for kind of that cornerstone of all civilization and all religions since the beginning of time, he then basically [is] getting crucified."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/chick-fil-supporters-gather-appreciation-day/story?id=16904664

[Guynemer]

Those mother****ers ****ing shut down traffic at my office, courtesy of the CfA across for us.

**** that ****, man. Unless they are giving out free blowjobs, there is absolutely zero reason to sit--literally sit--in traffic for 40 minutes for a mediocre chicken sandwich.

RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE

[giblets]

They're expressing solidarity with their fellow homophobic bigots.

[Ben Kenobi]

Deaf people have it worse than gay people. That is just a fact. Saying gay people have it harder than people who cannot hear is unbelievably retarded.

The average grade level of reading for people with my hearing is around grade 4. If you think that doesn't have an impact on poverty and employment levels then I don't know what to say. I'm glad that there's at least SOME sanity here on Poly.

[Wezil]

They're expressing solidarity with their fellow homophobic bigots.

Lining up to be on the wrong side of history.

Sad.

[Ben Kenobi]

Gay people and deaf people have different societal issues that aren't their fault. The point is deaf people are treated as equals under the law, while gay people are not. When there are issues with deaf people, it's not discrimination because they are deaf -- it's practicality issues. [b]People may have issues communicating, but that can't be avoided. This is entirely different than actively discriminating against a segment of the population because of personal issues.

Why then are sex change operations covered by national health care, but hearing aids are not? Maybe 20 years ago it was the case that gay people were discriminated against. Hasn't been true since.

The communication issues drastically reduce the jobs available. Look at how many jobs require the use of a phone to communicate. As a result you have plenty of qualified hearing impaired people that are excluded from jobs that they would otherwise be able to do.

Furthermore, I'm a teacher. Do you know how many hoops I've had to jump from folks who were convinced that I could not successfully teach hearing students? I had to have a monitor sit in the class before they would permit me to teach the class in my first year. Second year I had to deal with one parent who was convinced the same until she had to sit in my class. I've sat in meetings with the diocese, and the higher ups, etc to go over my qualification and certification to make sure the kids are getting what they need.

Because it simply hasn't been done. Most of the issues have been sorted out, but I'm sure I'll have to go through competency again at the start of the year. I know coworkers who have taught 20+ years and been through competency once - when they were hired.

There is discrimination, it does exist and yes, it's very real.

[Ben Kenobi]

Shut the hell up.

It's true. My mother was told that I could not be taught in the public schools because I was deaf.

No one's telling you that deaf people are sick perverts who are going to hell.

Actually, yes, I've been told that before. I've heard it from one of my french teachers, actually.

I was fortunate enough that the principal caught her when she tried to fail me in her class. She used one set of grades for everyone else, and a different set of grades for me. I got a B on the final exam, and he awarded me that B for the course. He told my father to keep a record of the marking assessments that she sent to him. What she did was fail me on my written work and made that worth about 80 percent of the course, whereas it was 30 for everyone else.

[Ben Kenobi]

Okay, well hard of hearing is in degrees. Some people who are hard of hearing can hear things like vehicle noises and threats to their safety but can't make out speech.

Reg - I have profound hearing impairment. > 90 decibel hearing loss. It was severe-to-profound, but has been profound over the last 10 years.

[Ben Kenobi]

Ben posts like he has Down Syndrome.

If I posted that gay marriage was a-ok you'd be calling me a prophet.

[Asher]

Why then are sex change operations covered by national health care, but hearing aids are not?

This is a provincial matter, not national. You are referring, presumably, to BC's policies. I don't elect the BC government so I can't speak for them.

Most provinces cover hearing aids, and even cochlear implants.

http://chha.ca/documents/Hearing_Aid_Subsidies_Across_Canada.pdf

[Al B. Sure!]

Are sex changes really covered in Canada and hearing aids are not? I mean in ANY province, including British Columbia.