JACKSONVILLE – A University of North Florida student is calling for a protest against the school’s decision to permit a Chick-fil-A restaurant on campus, a decision that is stirring a debate due to the politics and expressed position of Chick-fil-A president and COO Dan Cathy.
In July, Cathy told an interviewer that his privately-owned company is “guilty as charged” of supporting “the biblical definition” of the family unit.
Last week, UNF junior Alex Tarter addressed the UNF Student Government Association about Cathy’s comments and the politics of Chick-fil-A.
“Let me tell you how it feels to have someone go on national TV and say they hate you. To say that not only do they hate you, but it’s part of their values and belief system to hate you,” said Tarter, a psychology major.
In recent weeks, company officials have said that Chick-fil-A has rethought its policy concerning contributions to controversial groups and causes, but the behavior of company president Dan Cathy suggests no deviation on his part at least. Last month, Cathy tweeted, “WinShape Ride for the Family bikers locked and loaded for 200 mile ride to Wilmington out of Charleston.”
The Ride serves as a fundraiser for the Marriage and Family Foundation, which lobbies against marriage equality. Registration forms for the event include the Chick-fil-A logo and the WinShape Foundation name.