Classes at Texas State University started Monday against a backdrop of protests and support for the on-campus Chick-fil-A restaurant.
The school newspaper, The University Star, ran an article about the protests of students who started a Change.org petition tilted “Stop the Hate at Texas State: Remove the Chick-fil-A from the LBJ Student Union at Texas State University.” So far, 507 people have signed it.
The petition states that the company’s presence on campus is not in line with a university policy that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.
“This is not just about their organization opposing marriage for all, but also the view of homosexuality as inferior to heterosexuality, and therefore supporting hatred, social inequality, and family strife among those of us with LGBT family members and friends,” the petition reads in part.
In response, the university released a statement saying students can decide whether to support the on-campus restaurant and the university doesn’t need to decide for them. The statement also acknowledged that the company’s values don’t reflect those of the university.
“We are confident that our students, faculty, staff and guests can and will make decisions on what businesses to patronize for reasons that reflect their personal values without the university playing a role in dictating those decisions,” it states.
The Star article also mentions that the restaurant is the top-grossing vendor at the university and that only two complaints have been filed since Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy’s remarks against same-sex marriage.
Translation: If it brings in the money, let it stay.
The Star also ran an editorial Wednesday about how aside from the fact that Chick-fil-A officials have a right to free speech, the university is “strapped for cash” and can use the funds the on-campus location brings in with all its business.
But the most interesting part of the editorial was about the “more pressing university matters” like student housing, parking and tuition costs.
OK, those are big issues. So, eat your chicken sandwich while touting free speech rights, but maybe support adding gender-blind housing for trans students and some university-sponsored scholarships for LGBT applicants. What a difference that would make.
