When fast food restaurant Chick-fil-A decided to open a franchise in our neighborhood, many people were overjoyed, excited that they would be able to enjoy the signature sandwiches, nuggets and chicken strips. Since our local franchise has opened, we almost always see a long line of cars wrapped around the building with hungry people patiently waiting to place their order at the drive-thru.
While many people like the food at Chick-fil-A, not everyone supports the restaurant, and it has nothing to do with whether or not they like chicken. Some people don’t like the stance Chick-fil-A and CEO Dan Cathy have made about gay marriage. Cathy has been vocal about his opposition to gay marriage, and the company has donated money to organizations that are also anti-gay marriage.
Earlier this year, the boosters at West Linn High School in Oregon chose Chick-fil-A as one of the food trucks that would be present at football games. The presence of Chick-fil-A at the games was apparently enough to make the LGBTQ community at the school feel unwelcome. In response, over 100 students walked out of school in a protest that was organized by the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance. Multiple parents and family members joined the students in support.
According to the protesters, it’s not just about the food truck. The students also claim that they face harassment at school and games.
In response to this protest, another group of students walked out of school holding Chick-fil-A bags and making fun of the Gay-Straight Alliance protest.
According to Andrew Kilstrom, the school’s public information officer, “The West Linn-Wilsonville School District takes all matters of school safety seriously, and diligently investigates and addresses all potential safety concerns. That includes bullying or cyberbullying.” Kilstrom added that he is not aware of any specific harassment incidents.
As for the Chick-fil-A food truck, the school says it will be present at the rest of the football games this season, but the school claims it will do a better job vetting vendors in the future.
Interestingly, despite the fact that the school claimed the food truck would remain present at future football games, the very next football game, the food truck was noticeably absent. Reportedly, it was Chick-fil-A that decided not to send the food truck to the game.
Does it surprise you that students would feel discriminated against by the presence of a food truck at a football game? Do you like Chick-fil-A?
