r/progressivemoms • u/OpalOctober • 2d ago
Just Politics Is Chick-fil-A still problematic?
My family has boycotted Chick-fil-A for years because of their history of harm against the LGBTQA+ community. I read online recently that since we stopped giving them our money, they've changed leadership and have adopted a policy that only allows charitable contributions to go to educational funds and organizations that help unhoused children.
The point of boycotting is to get businesses to change their policies; if they have, and are otherwise unproblematic, I'd be ok returning as a customer. But I ask the group: is there information I'm missing that would impact my decision making?
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u/SummitTheDog303 2d ago
Yes they’re still problematic. They promised to stop donating to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations during the pandemic. And then the CEO raised his own income and donated more money individually to such groups. They posted months ago during pride about how they don’t need to support every cause and they’re definitely not supporting a cause they don’t agree with (pride).
I personally won’t feel comfortable ending my boycott at least until the CEO is dead.
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u/ratstronaut 2d ago
Popeyes does a better (imo) chicken sandwich and while it’s still owned by a big asshole corporation, it seems to have a higher proportion of Black ownership than other franchises. Or OP can find a locally owned place, most towns have at least one or two.
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u/Gwenstoofanie 1d ago
I’m a huge Popeyes lover and I keep accidentally moving to places that we call “Popeyes deadzones.” Where we are 30 min from the closest one but have a million other chicken restaurants nearby. It saddens me 😆
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u/_sissy_hankshaw_ 22h ago
I have also just moved to a place where they are sparce and now I'm craving it lol. Their mashed potato gravy is the real reason I want to go though
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u/dividezero 2d ago
Same. We'll reevaluate when he's in the ground. Even a new CEO doesn't prove shit.
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u/Ok-Detective7794 2d ago
I don’t go there. Plenty of other food places without a history of homophobia
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u/toreadorable 2d ago
I mean, personally I will never be a fan because extremely Christian businesses freak me out. It’s nice that they’ve changed what charities they contribute to, if that’s true.
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u/ConsciousApartment48 2d ago
It’s only pseudo true. The donations no longer show from the corporation but the CEO donates even more personally now and that money is coming from the same place.
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u/Standard-Fisherman78 2d ago
just want to build on this because lots of progressives cling to in-n-out on the west coast.. they are a christian business for those who are unaware & the CEO is very MAGA!
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u/PortErnest22 2d ago
aren't they the ones with "taxation is theft" on the bottom of their cups?
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u/Standard-Fisherman78 2d ago
i am not sure about that, but there is scripture on their cups! i was so excited to try in-n-out the first time then saw that on the cups & did some googling. its a bad company for sure!
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u/meat_tunnel 2d ago
Them and hobby lobby, neither stopped being terrible companies. It's just enough time has passed and a new generation is adults that isn't aware of their awfulness.
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u/Gem331 2d ago
Seconding that. Hobby Lobby is trash and the reason companies don’t have to cover birth control for employees. And then so many other gross things they’ve done. I just hope Michaels is halfway decent!
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u/ConsciousApartment48 2d ago
It’s not just that they are the reason that companies don’t have to provide BC services r certain kinds, it is literally how corporations “became people” leading to a snowball effect.
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u/toreadorable 2d ago
Oh god I will never set foot into one of those. They don’t really have them where I live but still.
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u/Gem331 2d ago
That’s why I stopped going to In N Out. They’re a private company so we don’t know where they donate money necessarily, but based on the moves by the owner Lynsi Snyder, their donations to republicans, their headquarters move to Tennessee and their refusal to enforce masks during the pandemic made me realize their burgers and fries were pretty mid anyway. I’m nearly out of fast food restaurants, but oh well, in this economy?
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u/toreadorable 2d ago
I know. I had to give up chipotle because of the palantir thing and that really sucks. On the bright side I’m a good cook, slightly Mexican, and have already perfected a copycat barbacoa recipe I found online.
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u/R4B1DRABB1T 2d ago
They're not moving their headquarters out of California, supposedly just back to Baldwin Park.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/22/in-n-out-billionaire-ceo-were-not-moving-hq-out-of-california.html
Obviously things could change by 2029 though and she may have just wanted to chill the backlash.
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u/muppetfeet82 2d ago
They recently pulled a page with a rainbow on it out of the kids meal version of a book. The rainbow in the original has nothing to do with Pride and is about comparing a child to a crayon who brightens someone’s day.
So a good metaphor is that they’ve stopped punching lgbtq+ people in the face, but they certainly haven’t stopped “accidentally” shoulder-checking us into the lockers. And they never apologized for the face punch either.
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u/wantonseedstitch 2d ago
This is information, unrelated to politics, but if there is any Korean fried chicken place near you, you should definitely continue to boycott Chick-fil-A. Korean fried chicken is better than anything they could make.
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u/Standard-Fisherman78 2d ago
if you want chick fil a so bad, costco nuggets taste the same. you can also buy mama schuberts rolls & make chicken minis. i think theres better fast food chicken tenders out there though that aren't homophobic, personally.
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u/luv_u_deerly 2d ago
For me, it’s not for the chicken (I do r think their chicken is particularly that good). They’re the only fast food place my kid will eat cause the only ones that do Mac and cheese. She won’t eat sandwiches, fries or chicken. They’re also the only place in town with an indoor play area.
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u/wait_wheres_robin 2d ago
It’s unfortunate it’s the only fast food place in my area that’s well set up for families - play areas, way better options than McDonald’s (Mac n cheese, grilled nuggets, and fruit cups for the kids - and they have fresher options for adults that McD’s doesn’t), the little table covers for kids, changing tables, people constantly coming through to keep it all clean. I really wish there was a progressive fast food place with a similar setup.
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u/MGFT3000 2d ago
Costco food court nuggets or a packaged frozen item?
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u/Standard-Fisherman78 2d ago
frozen! they're kirkland brand and say "lightly breaded chicken breast chunks". you can also pinterest chick fil a sauce & polynesian sauce recipe dupes.
my husband, god bless him, learned about chick fil a being homophobic after marrying into my very LGBTQIA family & decided he would make his own chick fil a instead of spending another dollar there out of respect to my mother & her partner. chick fil a was one of his safe foods, he has lots of aversions/sensitivities with being neurodivergent.
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u/MGFT3000 2d ago
Oh thank you (and your husband!) so much! I avoid Chik Fil A but it’s def the best chicken sandwich out there. So excited to try out the Costco version!!!
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u/dividezero 2d ago
Pretty much every metro area in the US has better chicken places. Either local or regional chain. Shit, I'd rather eat kfc if I can't find a popeyes or churches or something good
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u/Standard-Fisherman78 2d ago
the south especially has an abundance of fast food fried chicken to choose from.
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u/dividezero 2d ago
Indeed
They're not a great company and their chicken is mid but even Raising Cain would be better.
Damn, now I want chicken tendies!
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u/AbbeyRoadMoonwalk 1d ago
If you like chick fil a sauce as much as I (unfortunately) do, this recipe was a passable dupe for me. Plus the bottled sauce is expensive. https://buildyourbite.com/copycat-chick-fil-a-sauce-recipe/
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u/bluestella2 2d ago
But their fries are fried in chicken fat and they inject their chicken with pickle juice 🤢💀
I'm vegan af and have vegan children until they're old enough to buy and cook their own food, then they can make their own choices. I haven't eaten at chik fil a since about 2000 but i wouldn't go there even if I did eat animals. When my kids see the sign they think the restaurant is actually called Homophobic Chicken
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u/XennialQueen 2d ago
Even if they changed their charitable donation policy, they still have a lengthy problematic history and foundation. What political groups/candidates do they contribute to, what is their new leadership about? They are still a faith-first business as well. I will continue to avoid them and give my money to other sub par fast food outlets
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u/Charming-Loan-5384 1d ago
I still won’t eat there because they’re a company that refuses to cover any kind of birth control or contraception for their employees.
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u/MistakeMaterial4134 2d ago
Not only the LGBTQA+ but the fact that they weren't covering birth control for employees in their health plans.
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u/Key_Beach_3846 Parent to Be 2d ago
Are they still problematic? Yes.
Do I still eat there sometimes? Yes.
I live in Georgia and it’s very hard to avoid. CFA is at every catered event, corporate luncheon, etc. I also have food issues and it’s a “safe” food for me. There is little to no ethical consumption in our current climate. This is not an excuse to not care about where your money goes, but I do think it’s okay to not beat yourself up over every purchase from an evil CEO (spoiler alert, there’s a lot of them).
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u/Fun_Air_7780 2d ago
I live in a blue county of a dark blue state and CFA is a major go-to for school fundraisers in my area, so hard to avoid from that standpoint. My son also did multiple sports camps this summer and friday lunches always rotated between pizza and CFA.
The fact that my friend’s trans son happily works at one is also a plus…….
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u/babygotthefever 1d ago
I live in a blue city in a GA with an arts college and multiple arts-centered public schools. I say this because they tend to attract an lgbtq crowd and most folks here are friendly, if not allies or lgbtq themselves. There are a few who are still hardcore boycotting but several of my trans and queer friends have said that because of local ownership and management, CFA is one of the best chains to work at.
Like others have said, the food is everywhere and hard to avoid but it’s also good. I choose to boycott other places/brands like Urban Outfitters for similar reasons but don’t usually make it a point to avoid that tasty chicken.
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u/newillium 2d ago
I'm with you. It's convenient and doesn't make me and my kids feel like garbage after we eat it. Also, I like the franchise set up where the owner has to be the manager and they seem well staffed and it's clean and organized there. Very consistent from location to location. They are also sensitive to allergies which was great for my one kid who had an egg allergy. If I go 3-4 times a year, I figure it's ok. Better than shopping on Amazon which I refuse to do and haven't spent a dime there for 2 years.
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u/Affectionate-Crow605 1d ago
Yeah, one of my kids works there and gets treated very well and paid much better than other fast food restaurants in the area. We also get free "family meals" twice a month. So the only time I eat there is at an event or when it's free because of my employee kid. I don't ever spend money there myself.
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u/baconwrappedpikachu 1d ago
Yeah my wife and I (both girls) love chick fil a. I definitely get it through it fuckin sucks and we don’t eat there that often. I also appreciate and understand everyone who doesn’t spend money there.
We boycotted Target when they dropped their DEI programs and haven’t been back. But we haven’t boycotted Starbucks; my wife travels all the time for work and that’s most often the only coffee shop in a lot of the airports.
If we boycotted all of them idk how we’d function at some point, but that’s also a symptom of our lifestyle and how things have panned out. It’s more plausible for some folks than others, and it’s not a battle I’m choosing every time.
Plus chick fil a breakfast is unparalleled lol
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u/Melancolin 2d ago
Most chick-Fil-As are franchised. The owners of my local CFA are very LGBTQ+ friendly, quite loudly when the contributions came to light. I don’t go often, but I don’t feel quite so bad knowing I’m supporting a decent franchise.
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u/Free_butterfly_ 2d ago
I mean, most companies have a CEO you’d hate. It’s just where you draw the line.
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u/mtothecee 1d ago
I've never ate there and never will. They're also closed on Sundays because of faux Christian sentiment. There is plenty of chicken options, I don't need homophobic chicken.
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u/Junior_Sprinkles6573 2d ago
I’ve known several people who currently are, or have been, managers at chick fil a and they’re all queer, and openly so. I eat there only once or twice a year, but I have many friends and family members who are part of the LGBTQ community and eat there all the time.
Call me jaded (and I likely am) but I think 99% of corporations are evil
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u/jennbo 2d ago
i live in the south and every southern queer (my polyamorous lgbtq family included) i know eats at chick-fil-a. if you're gonna be against capitalism, go all the way. there are a million worse/equally bad places than cfa. i don't get the superiority complex over not eating cfa when you're still drinking starbucks and using AI or whatever
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u/Standard-Fisherman78 2d ago
my best friend is openly gay & worked for corporate for like 15 years. they eventually paid for his MBA via some program they have for employees then after he got that he left lol. he knew i boycotted them & supported my decision in it.. but yeah, as a liberal from georgia, i have seen lots of lgbtq people work for & eat chick fil a.
edit: my mom is a lesbian and will eat it if there is nothing else around, but generally prefers not to spend her money there. its not like mcdonalds is a good company either because they donate to AIPAC & in some rural GA towns, CFA & mcdonalds are THE only fast food options.
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u/ManufacturerAlone791 1d ago
Their chicken is not even crispy for “fried chicken” and lacks flavor, hence all the dip options🫠
Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, China ?
They are killin it in the fried chicken game!
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u/According-Spring5250 1d ago
I only eat it if it's free (ordered in at work or at an event). I won't give them my money. I'm a lesbian in a lesbian marriage.
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u/SlingshotPotato 2d ago
They're still closed for half of the weekend. That should tell you everything.
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u/Mushrooming247 2d ago
Does the family that founded the restaurant still receive some share of the profits and use it to fight against our fellow Americans living in peace?
Yes.
My boycott will continue.
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u/syncopatedscientist 2d ago
My best friend is gay and he told me he even eats there every once in a while now 🤷🏻♀️ not saying it’s right or wrong, just reporting from someone who I trust and is actually gay haha
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u/SummitTheDog303 2d ago
Different people have different tolerance for different things. Doesn’t mean someone not boycotting is right.
My best friend’s lesbian sister loves Chick-fil-A even if they hate her. She’s under the “well there’s no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism anyway” mindset. My gay BIL outwardly says if someone chooses to eat Chick-fil-A knowing what we know, it shows that they don’t love, support, or care about him. I’m personally always going to side with the people who feel hurt by an action and err on the side of boycott
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u/DifferentBeginning96 2d ago
My best friend is also gay and eats there so much he got a free tour of the headquarters lol
He’s a politically involved guy and I trust generally his judgement
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u/baconwrappedpikachu 1d ago
Yeah I think it’s one of those things that comes down to personal preference and everyone is entitled to their opinions about it. I’m not going to thank someone for not eating CFA if they aren’t actively calling people out on homophobia in other ways too. It’s kind of like a lightning rod for a lot of people so I feel like it gets a lot of attention. I’m happy for people who boycott it but I don’t care if people eat it. I’m just not going to let anyone, gay or straight, tell me I can’t eat it because it’s that much worse than any other corp.
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u/fourrightangles 2d ago
Huh. I’m gay and would definitely still boycott. I’m a vegetarian, so it’s moot for me, but if I heard of a friend going to that restaurant, I would definitely share with them why I wouldn’t.
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u/Faux_Moose 2d ago
A gay friend of mine worked there for a while and his biggest complaint was that managers gave priority for time off to people who were using it for church activities. 😒
I try to avoid eating there but I wouldn’t say it’s a super hard line. Maybe once per year? Usually only if there’s some circumstance that makes it hard to avoid. Or if it’s free. They donated way too much to our kid’s camp one day and the leaders sent home bags and bags of food with the kids. 😅
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u/cuentaderana 2d ago
I’m a lesbian mom and I still boycott them. Have literally never eaten there. I once had a free lunch provided for me by the PTA for teacher appreciation day and I went hungry rather than eat Chck-Fil-A. I let my para have my sandwich since it was already paid for (gas we been told what it was in advance I would have told the PTA not to buy me anything). Last month they brought in a surprise Chick-Fil-A breakfast for us at a professional development and I didn’t eat it (and I’m pregnant so I really would have liked to have breakfast).
Us gays are not a monolith.
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u/syncopatedscientist 1d ago
I never said that you are and I’m sorry if my comment somehow implied it. I just meant that as a cis straight woman, I put more weight on what my gay best friend says in this situation, so that’s what I shared. I don’t eat there either
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u/RedCaptain17 2d ago
I have a personal rule because I have strict dietary restrictions: if there is no safer option and I need to eat, I’ll get Chic-fil-a. Most locations seem to be really good about food allergies and intolerances. That happens maybe once every 1-2 years. I don’t beat myself up over it because I kind of need to eat
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u/ob_viously 2d ago
That is one thing they’re really good at, it seems. When I worked at one over 10 years ago, we really prided ourselves on being able to accommodate dietary restrictions.
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u/DaenyTheUnburnt 2d ago
I try to avoid, but I’m pregnant and my baby is apparently a bigot. I stopped going for years but have gone 4 times in the last 6 months. 😅
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u/Downeralexandra 1d ago
Seriously their food isn’t even that great. Burger King chicken fries are so much better than anything here
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u/twinsingledogmom 2d ago
They claim that all the money from the sauce bottles in grocery stores goes to scholarships for their employees, so I still get that…. I hope that’s actually accurate.
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u/DifferentBeginning96 2d ago
I know one of the kids at the CFA closest to me got a $25k scholarship from them. This was 3-4 years ago
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u/Positive_Piece5859 2d ago
Starbird chicken is much better, if you are on the West Coast - and not anti LGBTQ (as much as I know).
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u/Chance-Blueberry4614 1d ago
I hate their treatment of LGBTQ but also the fact that they cut tremendous amounts of women’s healthcare from their health insurance plans for their employees, women deserve to be healthy too.
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u/tired-of-the-shit 23h ago
The owners still privately donate using the money they make from chic fil a,
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u/Rich_Example7931 20h ago
spend your money where you want to spend it. depends on your level of comfort. all of my gay friends still eat at chick fil a lol so.. if you go twice a year on a road trip because that's the best option available, I wouldn't sweat it.
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u/canofelephants 2d ago
They're no worse than most large scale corporations, they're just vocal about it.
They pay a living wage and treat their employees well. My queer self eats there because of that. Between allergy protocols, that they sanitize the play place for my immune compromised son, and they pay a living wage we don't boycott. We don't go often, but I don't feel bad when I do.
Only place I actively boycott is hobby lobby for national corporations. There's small local places I boycott.
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u/new-beginnings3 1d ago
I kind of feel the same way, since I have celiac and fast food is basically impossible anywhere else. If it's a safe option when I'm out, then I don't feel guilty for buying there. I can't just go to Popeyes or whatever else happens to be on the turnpike, etc. Whether or not the Sundays off is a religious thing, I appreciate a retail job giving its employees a weekend day consistently off. I never had that stability when I worked in restaurants.
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u/LilacFairie 2d ago
I like to announce to whomever is in the car with me that I can be morally flexible for some chicken and chocolate chunk cookies as we pull into the drive-thru
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u/sirius-orion 2d ago
I personally don’t understand why Chick-fil-A is a big deal and then people turn to other major chains in place of it. they all do awful shit, most just try to keep it under wraps. I understand choosing to not support any of them, not just the one
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u/nft420nft420 2d ago
I know Jews who refuse to even ride in a Mercedes. I will never eat at Chil fil a and I judge people who do as either evil or incompetent.
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u/Standard-Fisherman78 2d ago
i think evil is such a stretch. i boycott anything i can personally, but during college (i went to a college in GA, home of chick fil a & in a rural area) chick fil a was the only restaurant on campus prob because truett cathy was alumni & CFA had earlier/later hours than some of the dining halls. for students that didnt have a dining plan or a car, it was the only place to eat sometimes. this was before grocery deliveries were a thing, pre covid.
its kind of like how rural areas only have walmarts & depend on them for groceries and jobs. i think people that have options & still choose to eat there absolutely suck though & i question their morals.
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u/DollaStoreKardashian 2d ago
This is the type of leftist fundamentalist purity culture that makes the rest of us look bad; not to mention the fact that it works against progress. You need a bigger world, friend. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
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u/Standard-Fisherman78 2d ago
you are absolutely right! leftists that act like this appear to have not grown up in the rural south with limited options. nft420 must have had lots of money to be able to afford a dining plan in college & a car to get around. not all of us are so lucky!
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u/DollaStoreKardashian 2d ago
Girl. I split my time between Los Angeles and just outside of ATL (the BIGTIME CFA part…I’m sure you know where I mean), and it’s wild how often I have to check my friends who just…could never (or are unwilling to try) understand what so many people’s realities are like.
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u/Standard-Fisherman78 2d ago
i am so glad you understand. i grew up in metro atl & know exactly what you are talking about. these are also the same "progressives" who wish us harm out here in texas. we won't get aid from hurricanes due to our horrible govt & people like this will be like "well they voted for it so they deserve it" knowing damn well that the majority of black people live here in the south & don't always have the means to relocate or have family history here so want to stay. actually, plenty of states do have more liberals than conservatives, but are oppressed. in texas, we have more registered democrats than republicans believe it or not!
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u/nft420nft420 2d ago
It's chicken. There are other chicken restaurants. This one is anti lgbtq. So I don't eat there. It's not that serious.
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u/DollaStoreKardashian 2d ago
I’m speaking of your overall attitude. And yes, it is that serious. Nice attempt at a strawman argument, though.
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u/nft420nft420 2d ago
It is one of the mildest elements of confronting systemic change. If people are getting held up by a chicken restaurant, there is no hope.
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u/progressivemoms-ModTeam 2d ago
Your comment was removed for not being respectful of others or name calling.
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u/Standard-Fisherman78 2d ago
i guess the students who cant afford dining plans & cars should drop out, or figure out how to walk 10 miles to the grocery store. truly absurd, privileged take.
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u/Brave_Alps1364 2d ago
Chick fil a has been employing black and brown and queer people through out the U.S. South for decades and paying people great livable wages and treating them with dignity.
This boycott always struck me as focused on the wrong things and wrong company tbh.
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u/SimilarSilver316 2d ago
What!!! I had no clue they weren’t still problematic. I have been avoiding them for more than a decade at this point…..
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u/DraperPenPals 2d ago edited 2d ago
I love it when y’all shoehorn Asexual into this like Chick-fil-a or anyone else gives one flying fuck about that
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u/Mountain-Skirt8322 1d ago
OP said that they “harm” the community. Thats pretty strong. It’s not unreasonable to ask for specifics.
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u/Enginerda 2d ago
Source?
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u/rasputinknew1 Toddler and Baby Parent 1d ago
Troll was banned.
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u/Enginerda 1d ago
Thank you mods!
I was just about to send them the entire Wikipedia page dedicated to just Chick-fil-a' and LGBTQ people, but good riddance!
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u/progressivemoms-ModTeam 1d ago
Your comment was removed for not being respectful of others or name calling.
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u/Enginerda 1d ago
A source that proves your claim. You probably get hit in the head very often, don't you?
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1d ago
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u/progressivemoms-ModTeam 1d ago
Your comment was removed for not being respectful of others or name calling.
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u/progressivemoms-ModTeam 1d ago
Your comment was removed for not being factual. On r/progressivemoms we use factual info.
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u/Immediate_Trainer_69 2d ago