Chick-fil-A will not be allowed to open a planned restaurant inside the San Antonio International Airport because the city council is packed with anti-Christian bigots.
The city council voted to ban the nation’s most popular fast food chain over accusations the family-owned company donates to anti-LGBT organizations.
According to Think Progress, the “anti-gay” organizations Chick-fil-A supports include the Salvation Army, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Paul Anderson Youth Home.:
“The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a religious organization that seeks to spread an anti-LGBTQ message to college athletes and requires a strict ‘sexual purity’ policy for its employees that bars any ‘homosexual acts.’ Paul Anderson Youth Home, a ‘Christian residential home for trouble youth,’ teaches boys that homosexuality is wrong and that same-sex marriage is “rage against Jesus Christ and His values.”
Think Progress basically has a problem with Christian organizations requiring members and employees to follow Christian teachings on sexuality. They seem to believe any Christian who supports traditional marriage is a homophobic bigot.
City Councilman Roberto C. Treviño led the charge to block Chick-fil-A from opening a franchise in the airport. He accused the company of having a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior.
“With this decision, the City Council reaffirmed the work our city has done to become a champion of equality and inclusion,” Treviño said in a statement. “San Antonio is a city full of compassion, and we don’t have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior.”
Councilman Trevino either knowingly lied about Chick-fil-A or he is woefully ignorant. Chick-fil-A has never discriminated against gay employees or gay customers. Period.
“This is the first we’ve heard of this. It’s disappointing,” Chick-fil-A said in a statement. “We would have liked to have had a dialogue with the city council before this decision was made. We agree with Councilmember Treviño that everyone is and should feel welcome at Chick-fil-A. We plan to reach out to the city council to gain a better understanding of this decision.”
First Liberty Institute, one of the nation’s top religious liberty firms, condemned the city council’s decision.
“This decision is exactly the kind of government hostility to religious liberty that the First Amendment abhors,” said attorney Keisha Russell. “Chick-fil-A has a long history of being a great place to work, customer service beyond reproach, and is an exceptional member of the community. All Americans should agree that tolerance and inclusion are necessary in our diverse and pluralistic society. Fortunately, one bigoted city council member does not represent the Great State of Texas or its values. Texans and San Antonians should not stand for such intolerance and bigotry by their elected officials.”
Let’s be clear – the only reason Chick-fil-A has been banned from the San Antonio airport is because the city council is packed with a bunch of anti-Christian bigots.