Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has
encouraged Chick-Fil-A to opt-out of opening a restaurant location in
Boston.
In a letter dated July 20th
but which was only made
public on Wednesday, Menino chided Chick-Fil-A President Dan
Cathy for his recent comments opposing gay marriage.
Here is Menino's letter in its
entirety:
“In recent days you said Chick-Fil-A
opposes sames-sex marriage and said the generation that supports it
has an 'arrogant attitude.'”
“Now – incredibly – your company
says you are backing out of the same-sex marriage debate. I urge you
to back out of your plans to locate in Boston.”
“You called supporters of gay
marriage 'prideful.' Here in Boston, to borrow your own words, we
are 'guilty as charged.' We are indeed full of pride for our
support of same sex marriage and our work to expand freedom to all
people. We are proud that our state and our city have led the way
for the country on equal marriage rights.”
“I was angry to learn on the heels of
your prejudiced statements about your search for a site to locate in
Boston. There is no place for discrimination on Boston's Freedom
Trail and no place for your company alongside it. When Massachusetts
became the first state in the country to recognize equal marriage
rights, I personally stood on City Hall Plaza to greet same sex
couples coming here to be married. It would be an insult to them and
to our city's long history of expanding freedom to have a Chick-fil-A
across the street from that spot.”
Menino
is a co-chair of the group Mayors for the Freedom to Marry.
(Related: Rick
Santorum supports Mike Huckabee's “Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day.”)