'A Bastion of Bigotry': U of Kansas Faculty Calls for Boycott of Chick-fil-A

Ferlon Webster Jr. | August 29, 2019
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A group of faculty members in support of LGBTQ people on the University of Kansas (KU) campus are enraged at the school’s relationship with Chick-fil-A and are, of course, calling for a boycott.

KU’s Sexuality & Gender Diversity Faculty and Staff Council are uncomfortable with the fast food restaurant being moved out of the basement of Wescoe Hall — which is a less visible area on the campus — to a more visible area in the student union. They’re also complaining about the school’s new sponsorship with the restaurant — the “Chick-fil-A Coin Toss” — which takes place before the start of Jayhawks home football games.

“KU granted Chick-fil-A, a bastion of bigotry, a prime retail location in the heart of our campus,” KU’s Sexuality & Gender Diversity Faculty and Staff Council said in a letter sent this week to Chancellor Doug Girod, the provost’s office and the athletic department, The Kansas City Star reports.

“Moving Chick-fil-A to the Union and granting it a role at the start of all home football games violates the feelings of safety and inclusion that so many of us have striven to create, foster, and protect on campus, and sends a message that the Union, KU Athletics, and the administration at large are more concerned about money and corporate sponsorship than the physical, emotional, and mental well being of marginalized and LGBTQ people.”

No surprise, but the council hates the partnership with Chick-fil-A because of the owner’s support of traditional marriage and his belief in Christian doctrine.

The school doesn’t look like they’re going to back down from the demands of, most likely, a minority, and as the Kansas City Star reports, Chick-fil-A’s presence seems to be increasing on college campuses: 

The chain has a huge presence in college sports, especially in the South. On Friday, Alabama and Duke universities will play in the annual Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

But the chain appears to be expanding its presence in Midwestern colleges. Kansas State University announced earlier this year that for the first time, Chick-fil-A sandwiches would be served at concession stands at home football games.

Chick-fil-A is also located on the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus and near the University of Missouri’s football stadium in Columbia.

It seems like the more people protest, the more the fast food chain (with possibly the best customer service on the planet) grows.

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