Boston Mayor Takes Stand Against Chick-Fil-A Over Stance on Gay Marriage

The backlash over Chick-Fil-A president Dan Cathy's statement that he supported "the traditional family" last week continues.

As reported on Huffington Post and , Cathy stated the restaurant business holds to traditional values in regards to homosexuality.

"We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives," Cathy was quoted as saying. "We give God thanks for that...we know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles."

Following a media firestorm over the remarks, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino told the Boston Herald last Thursday that he doesn't want a business in the city "that discriminates against a population."

Menino vowed in a letter to Cathy, which was posted on Boston's official Facebook page, not to allow a Chick-Fil-A set up shop in the city. It reads, in part, as follows:

"In recent days you said Chick-fil-A opposes same-sex marriage and said the generation that supports it has an 'arrogant attitude.'

Now -- incredibly -- your company says you are backing out of the same-sex marriage debate. I urge you to back out of your plans to locate in Boston."

"You called supporters of gay marriage 'prideful.' Here in Boston, to borrow your own words, we are 'guilty as charged.' We are indeed full of pride for our support of same-sex marriage and our work to expand freedom to all people. We are proud that our state and our city have led the way for the country on equal marriage rights...

There is no place for discrimination on Boston's Freedom Trail and no place for your company alongside it."

Click here to see the full letter.

On the other side of the issue, some big-named conservates have come out in support of Cathy and his stance on gay marriage.

As reported in the Huffington Post, former GOP presidential candidates Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee have been outspoken in their support for Cathy and the franchise. Huckabee even encouraged people to patronize the fast food chain on Aug. 1, which he deemed "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day."

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