Gay rights supporters plan a kissing
protest after thousands of people showed their appreciation for
Chick-Fil-A during Wednesday's Appreciation Day.
The day of appreciation was organized
by former Arkansas Governor and Baptist minister Mike Huckabee, who
said he wanted to support the company as it faces a backlash over
remarks made by Chick-Fil-A President Dan Cathy in opposition to gay
marriage.
Several elected officials spoke out
against the company after Cathy said gay marriage is “inviting
God's judgment on our nation,” including Mayors Ed Lee of San
Francisco, Rahm Emanuel of Chicago and Thomas Menino of Boston.
Menino said he would work to block the
eatery from entering the Boston market, while Emanuel said the
company does not share “Chicago values.”
“It was just getting out of hand –
the hate speech and the incredible language that was being hurled at
Dan Cathy, the CEO, because in an interview with a Christian
newspaper he took a stand for traditional marriage,” Huckabee said
during a Fox News appearance. “For that, he was just being
bullied. Economic bullying was the way this was going down.”
Organizers of Friday's National
Same-Sex Kiss Day at Chick-Fil-A are encouraging couples to take a
photo or video of themselves sharing a kiss at the fast-food chain.
“Let's show Chick-Fil-A thanks for
their support of Love, Equality, and the Real Definition of
Marriage!” organizers said on Facebook.
“Invite your friends!”
“That's America,” said Huckabee of
the counter demonstration. “As long as they're orderly. As long
as they don't disrupt the flow of customers and traffic. If they
believe that this will help their cause – to put people of the same
sex kissing each other in front of families – if they believe that
will encourage people to be more sympathetic then more power to them.
In America, I believe that people have the right to do things that I
might not agree with.”