Chick-fil-A got plenty of pushback when it dipped its toes in the New York City market, but despite the opposition, the chicken chain has had no problem attracting diners, and their plans for local domination are in full swing. In fact, plans to open the chain's first Queens location are underway, but DNAinfo reports that city politicians are speaking out against the chain, notably Mayor de Blasio, who thinks real New Yorkers should steer clear of the bigoted chain.
"What the ownership of Chick-fil-A has said is wrong," the mayor said at a press conference last night. "I'm certainly not going to patronize them and I wouldn't urge any other New Yorker to patronize them. But they do have a legal right."
The mayor was joined in sentiment by City Councilman Daniel Dromm, who represents the Elmhurst neighborhood where the new restaurant will open this fall. "This group imparts a strong anti-LGBT message by forcing their employees and volunteers to adhere to a policy that prohibits same-sex love," the councilman said in a statement. "It is outrageous that Chick-fil-A is quietly spreading its message of hate by funding these types of organizations."
During his tenure as mayor, Michael Bloomberg said he wouldn't try to ban Chick-fil-A from NYC, because it was a question of free speech. "You can't have a test for what the owners' personal views are before you decide to give a permit to do something in the city," he said. "You really don't want to ask political beliefs or religious beliefs before you issue a permit, that's just not government's job." Regulating the beverage consumption of your citizens though? Totally fair game.
