Chick-fil-A Same Sex 'Kiss-In' as Popular as Restaurant's 'Appreciation Day?'
Proponents of same-sex marriage were encouraged to go to their local Chick-fil-A restaurants on Friday and stage a "kiss-in" to show their disagreement with the Christian viewpoints of the company's CEO, Dan Cathy. It was unclear what kind of impact, if any, the protest may have had on the public.
"So who is going to Chick-fil-A for National Kiss Day? Straight, Bi, Lesbian, it doesn't matter love is love!" tweeted one user in support of the national "same sex kiss-in."
Those same-sex couples participating in the event have been encouraged to post photos and videos on their Twitter and Facebook pages of their "protest" in Chick-fil-A's across the nation.
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Although several have taken to Twitter and Facebook to show their support, news agencies claim that the event, which wrangled in about 12,000 "confirmed" guests on its Facebok page Thursday, has been off to a slow start. It was unclear how many people had actually participated, and if the turnout was comparable to the pro-Chick-fil-A event on Wednesday.
According to the Los Angeles Times on Friday morning, it was unsure whether the initiative would attract as many as Wednesday's "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day," which resulted in record sales for the Georgia-based fast food chain.
Entertainment website TMZ reported that police were called to a Chick-fil-A in Hollywood on Friday by store employees, who were not concerned about the pro-same-sex "kiss-in" demonstration, but rather with the aggressive behavior of the media who turned up to cover the protest.
Members of the media were allegedly verbally accosting staff at Hollywood's Chick-fil-A for feedback, but by the time the police had arrived, the situation had been resolved.
Friday's initiative, called "National Same Sex Kiss Day at Chick Fil A," was headed by a grassroots gay activist group led by Carly McGehee, and supported by the Gay And Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) organization.
"In honor of their support for love, equality, and the real definition of family, we're holding a NATIONAL Same Sex Kiss Day at Chick Fil A's around the country. So grab a friend (or 20) and head out to your nearest Chick Fil A! And don't forget to post photos/videos of it here! For all the world to see!" the event's Facebook page reads.
Friday's "kiss-in" was in protest to comments made by Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy in early July, when he expressed his support of traditional marriage.
Although Cathy received major backlash from the gay community, who called his comments bigoted, he also received massive support from those congratulating him on standing by his Christian faith in a time of public opposition.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who spearheaded Wednesday's "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day," said "more power" to those participating in Friday's "kiss-in."
"[... if they believe that will help their cause, to put people of the same sex kissing each other in a public place in front of families, if they believe that will encourage people to be more sympathetic, then, you know, more power to them," Huckabee told "Fox and Friends" on Thursday..
"In America, I believe people have a right to do things that I might not agree with. What I don't want to do is shut down the voices of Christians because they don't like those voices," he added.
