[h=4]Staff and wire reports[/h]
Staff and wire reports
Updated: 2012-08-02T04:01:38Z
FRED BLOCHER | The Kansas City Star
Chick-fil-A customers waited in long lines Wednesday at the restaurant at 8551 State Line Road. Many were supporters of company President Dan Cathy’s stance on same-sex marriage.
Chick-fil-A supporters flocked to the chain’s restaurants Wednesday in Kansas City and across the country for “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day,” declared by Baptist minister and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
The day was a reaction to criticism of the Atlanta-based chain by some big-city mayors, and to boycott calls by gay-rights groups for Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy’s opposition to gay marriage.“Well, I came out because of the political stance, but I do love the food,” said Jim Saxion of Kansas City at the busy Chick-fil-A at Ward Parkway Center. He said he agreed with Cathy that marriage should be between a man and a woman.Forrest Swyden, who owns the franchise there, said business had been “very, very good the last four years,” and he hadn’t seen change since Cathy made his remarks.In July, Cathy told an online Baptist journal that his company was “guilty as charged” for being “very much supportive of the biblical family unit” and opposed to same-sex couples marrying. He added, “My family and I … love and respect everyone who disagrees.”At Ward Parkway, Ron Bondy said he wasn’t a regular and had come specifically for the appreciation day.“We live in a free country,” he said, “so people can do whatever they want to do as long as they stay within the laws.”Opponents of Cathy’s stance — and his donations of millions of dollars to Christian organizations that lobby against equal rights for gay people — have planned “Kiss Mor Chiks” for Friday, asking people of the same sex to show up at Chick-fil-A locations and kiss each other.Mayors of the District of Columbia, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco have criticized Cathy’s stance and said the chain would not be welcome to put more franchises in their cities.
The Star’s Allison Prang contributed to this report.
Copyright 2012 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Staff and wire reports
Updated: 2012-08-02T04:01:38Z
FRED BLOCHER | The Kansas City Star
Chick-fil-A customers waited in long lines Wednesday at the restaurant at 8551 State Line Road. Many were supporters of company President Dan Cathy’s stance on same-sex marriage.
Chick-fil-A supporters flocked to the chain’s restaurants Wednesday in Kansas City and across the country for “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day,” declared by Baptist minister and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
The day was a reaction to criticism of the Atlanta-based chain by some big-city mayors, and to boycott calls by gay-rights groups for Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy’s opposition to gay marriage.“Well, I came out because of the political stance, but I do love the food,” said Jim Saxion of Kansas City at the busy Chick-fil-A at Ward Parkway Center. He said he agreed with Cathy that marriage should be between a man and a woman.Forrest Swyden, who owns the franchise there, said business had been “very, very good the last four years,” and he hadn’t seen change since Cathy made his remarks.In July, Cathy told an online Baptist journal that his company was “guilty as charged” for being “very much supportive of the biblical family unit” and opposed to same-sex couples marrying. He added, “My family and I … love and respect everyone who disagrees.”At Ward Parkway, Ron Bondy said he wasn’t a regular and had come specifically for the appreciation day.“We live in a free country,” he said, “so people can do whatever they want to do as long as they stay within the laws.”Opponents of Cathy’s stance — and his donations of millions of dollars to Christian organizations that lobby against equal rights for gay people — have planned “Kiss Mor Chiks” for Friday, asking people of the same sex to show up at Chick-fil-A locations and kiss each other.Mayors of the District of Columbia, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco have criticized Cathy’s stance and said the chain would not be welcome to put more franchises in their cities.
The Star’s Allison Prang contributed to this report.
Copyright 2012 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.