Cynthia Nixon, Mandy Patinkin and Alan
Cumming are adamantly opposed to Chick-Fil-A.
The fast-food chain has become a cause
celeb among social conservatives after CEO Dan Cathy was criticized
for saying that gay marriage is “inviting God's judgment on our
nation.” Cathy also conceded that his company gave millions to
groups which oppose gay marriage, support therapies aimed at “curing”
gay people, and advocate the criminalization of gay relationships.
Several demonstrations – one in
support, another opposed – have taken place since Cathy made his
comments, increasing awareness of the company's stance on the issue
and resulting in a strong association between the brand and
opposition to marriage equality.
Sex and the City's Cynthia
Nixon, who
married her wife in New York earlier this year, said she would
never patronize the eatery.
“People who are against other
people's civil rights, I have no interest in their chicken,” she
told The
Huffington Post. “No chicken!”
Mandy Patinkin agreed: “If you don't
protect everyone's rights now, one day your son, daughter, nephew,
granddaughter, grandson will not have their rights, and then it will
be too late. Plus there's better chicken to be had.”
Denis O'Hare, who returned this season
to HBO's True Blood, said he wouldn't eat at Chick-Fil-A
because “I don't eat shit.”
With a sassy snap at the end, the actor
added: “[B]usiness and politics don't mix, so you will never see my
sorry ass in a Chick-Fil-A. Nuh uh!”
(Related: True
Blood's Dennis O'Hare marries boyfriend in New York City.)
Alan Cumming, another
gay married actor, said the issue wasn't about freedom of speech.
“Bigotry is not included in freedom of speech, to me,” he said. “When people are giving money to
actively persecute other people, I think the public should know about
that and shame them. This whole 'freedom of speech' argument is
absolute shit.”