Blog: Chick-fil-A's Has Already Lost the Culture War

My friend Justin Pheley wrote this excellent piece that I felt needed to be shared:

Just wanted to share a positive thought in regards to all this fast food chicken ugliness.

Part of me thinks of these long lines around Chick-fil-A's as funeral processions, rather than some sort of conservative solidarity movement.

The truth is conservatives have lost the culture wars, and I think they know it. Even as the leadership of the fast food chain digs in its heels, and stands its g...round, surrounded by supporters, and enveloped in the sounds of the likes of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Laura Schlesinger cheering them on with all the words the kind of people inclined to mean spirited pettiness need, it's not enough to change the tide of impending history. Justice, and equality for our LGBT brothers, and sisters is on it's way. MLK said the arc of history bends toward justice, and it's true, at least when no one has money to gain on the deal. Look what happened in the New York senate.

The votes from Republicans needed to pass marriage equality were garnered by simple pressure from big money donors from wall street who were either gay themselves or had gay loved ones. There is no corporate interest to give the right the money on this, there is simply nothing for corporate America to gain from backing bigotry, and a very large market in the economy to lose. 

Studies show that people who know someone in their lives that is gay are far less likely to harbor homophobic feelings. This is something that even applies to myself. I've never been what you would call a homophobe, and have always had a desire to see people treated fairly, but it wasn't until someone who I really care about, and whom I have known since he was five came out of the closet did I really understand something as simple as calling something "gay" even if it was intended to be benign, could hurt someone, and that was when I realized I couldn't do that anymore.

So with every new gay character on television, with every out-of-the-closet star, come hundreds of more out of the closet people, and with each one of those hundreds more people who realize how normal being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender actually is. I know it, you know it, and most importantly all those people at Chick-fil-A either know it, or at least sense it.

So to all you people waiting in line for that chance to get on one of the last trains to bigotry: Take a look around you, and soak it in, there wont be many more opportunities, not on this issue at least.

All that's left for us culture war lefties is some mop up action.