New York City mayor responds to calls to boycott Chick-fil-A
Bill de Blasio says he will not patronize the fast food chain, but it has a right to set up shop
Are New York liberals trying to revive the Chick-fil-A wars of the past? Just as national fast food chain Chick-fil-A is set to open its first location in Queens, N.Y. this fall, some Big Apple politicians are encouraging consumers to boycott it,.
New York City Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Elmhurst, Jackson Heights) has called for a boycott of Chick-fil-A due to the company’s CEO Dan Cathy’s opposition to same-sex marriage, and investigations that revealed that the chain has donated to anti-LGBT groups, reports DNA Info.
“Chick-fil-A is anti-LGBT,” Dromm said in a statement. “This group imparts a strong anti-LGBT message by forcing their employees and volunteers to adhere to a policy that prohibits same-sex love. It is outrageous that Chick-fil-A is quietly spreading its message of hate by funding these types of organizations.”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, already a regular target of the political Right, weighed in on Dromm’s comments. Asked about the controversy during a press conference, de Blasio said that Chick-fil-A has every right to open in Queens, but that New Yorkers should eat elsewhere.
“What the ownership of Chick-fil-A has said is wrong,” said de Blasio. “I’m certainly not going to patronize them and I wouldn’t urge any other New Yorker to patronize them. But they do have a legal right.”
The chain currently has three locations open in Manhattan, but none in the city’s other boroughs.
“We look forward to opening our first restaurant in Queens and serving all of our customers delicious food in an environment of genuine hospitality,” a spokeswoman for Chick-fil-A said. “The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of their beliefs, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender.”
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