Dear Editor,  

While Casey Smith’s “Strictly American Food” (April 5, 2019) was a highly entertaining opinion piece, its shout-out to Chick-Fil-A is an important reminder that any justice-minded Maverick should abstain from the chain because of its ongoing contributions to anti-LGBTQ groups.

Even worse than its greasy, un-sustainable fare is the fact that, since 2017, Chick-Fil-A has donated close to two million dollars to anti-gay causes and charities. These include the Salvation Army, Fellowship for Christian Athletes (which insists that its members abstain from “homosexual acts”), and a Youth Home that denounces gay marriage as the “rage against Jesus.”

This is nothing new for the fast food franchise and its CEO, Dan T. Cathy, whose ideas are about as stiff and stale as the bread he calls “food.” It runs in the family: Cathy’s father, Truett Cathy, donated to a group, Exodus International, that promoted conversion therapy (the idea that Bible study can “cure” you of your gayness) and numerous college have waffled on whether Chick-Fil-A belongs on their campuses.

The Cathy family, after public backlash, knew that it had to pose as an apolitical company if it were to survive in the 21^st-century marketplace, so they now donate (through their charity arm, the WinShape Foundation) more covertly. Never forget that when you bite into that cheap chicken, you’re also biting into the Stone Age. CMU, going forward, deserves better food and businesses more in line with the diversity and justice promoted in the classroom. 

Sincerely,

Colin Carman, Ph.D.Faculty, LLMC, CMU​