A local artist has stepped forward to take responsibility for painting “Tastes Like Hate” on the side of a Chick-Fil-A eatery on Friday morning in Torrance, California.

Manny Castro left his message two days after Chick-Fil-A restaurants were flooded with customers supporting CEO Dan Cathy's comments in opposition to gay marriage.

Castro, who is openly gay, told The Huffington Post that he is opposed to the company's stand on gay rights.

“Everybody is entitled to free speech, but it seems like for the gay tribe, this is more of an issue of equal rights – human rights,” he said. “I'm against what these people stand for, what this company stands for. They're trying to take away what little rights we already have.”

“It's paint on a wall,” he added. “It got removed in less than an hour. It's not that much of a crime – it's a protest.”