Editor,
The dangerous political influence that the Chick-fil-A franchise holds here at the UNM appears to go unnoticed.
The University prides itself on its diverse student body, yet it allows this anti-gay corporation to continually profit on our campus. Neither Chick-fil-A nor UNM have bothered to educate the campus population about what that franchise does with its corporate profits.
Imagine if all the dozens of Chick-fil-A advertisements we are bombarded with around campus had a reality check on them. Something like: Buy more chicken sandwiches from us because we like to support anti-gay organizations.
Would UNM students continue to buy if they knew this corporation directly funds hate groups fighting against the civil and human rights of everyday Americans? UNM has one of the biggest and most effective Queer Straight Alliance Clubs that I have ever seen.
That strong alliance is a direct result of the diversity that UNM embraces and even advertises.
To continue to allow Chick-fil-A on our campus (a public campus paid for with tax dollars, I might add) is an offense and direct affront to every student and faculty member, especially the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ones! What’s more, no New Mexican would support you helping a private corporation fund hate groups that want to roll back or stop the progress of human and civil rights in our nation.
Chick-fil-A has donated more than $1.1 million dollars to organizations that deliver anti-gay messaging and promote absurd practices, such as reparative therapy that seek to release people from being gay.
WinShape, created by Chick-fil-A founder and chairman S. Truett Cathy in 1984, donated $1.1 million to organizations like National Christian Foundation, Serving Marriages, Inc., Alliance Defense Fund, Christian Camp and Conference Association, the Family Research Council, and the list goes on and on.
One shocking assertion is from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). The FCA’s application to become a ministry leader clearly states, “God desires His children to lead pure lives of holiness. The Bible is clear in teaching on sexual sin including sex outside of marriage and homosexual acts. Neither heterosexual sex outside of marriage nor any homosexual act constitute an alternate lifestyle acceptable to God.”
I don’t know about you, but I refuse to let a corporation tell me who I can and cannot have sex with, who I should fall in love with or how I should define my family!
With every bite of chicken, the corporation sends out messages of hate and bigotry. With every day that you continue to allow this corporation to profit from its presence on campus, you, too, contribute to the hate and bigotry.
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Please take action immediately to remove this corporation from our campus. If you can sacrifice hundreds of thousands of dollars to get a better Lobo coach, you can terminate a contract that you now know is an affront to Americans everywhere.
Peace, love and equality for all.
Brittany Arneson
UNM student
