Oh goodie! Everyone now has a free pass to eat at the conservative Christian-founded Chik-fil-A, excepts vegans because there is no kale patty there. The fast-food company’s non-profit arm claims they have dropped their support of anti-gay groups in order to pursue the mighty dollar, worshiping Mammon and putting profits before the Chick-fil-A’s founding family principlesUm, no more like non-profits before the IRS. Let’s read between the lines here at this article from the Chicago Phoenix:

After months of negotiations with [Chicago] Ald. Proco “Joe” Moreno over its anti-gay positions and donations, Chick-fil-A has agreed to cease donations from its non-profit charity to anti-gay organizations and issued a company-wide internal mandate calling for the equal treatment of all employees and customers.

WinShape, a non-profit funded by Chick-fil-A, has donated millions of dollars to anti-LGBT organizations — some classified hate groups — including Focus on the Family, according to The Civil Rights Agenda, which worked with Moreno and company executives in an advisory capacity as they negotiated to adopt new policies. Repeated attempts to confirm the information with Chick-fil-A have been unsuccessful….

The company outlined its shift in policy and practice in a letter addressed to Moreno (1st), who in July declared that he would block the popular fast food chain from opening a new location in his ward unless they changed their anti-gay policies. The letter, signed by Chick-fil-A’s Senior Director of Real Estate reads, “The WinShape Foundations is now taking a much closer look at the organizations it considers helping, and in that process will remain true to its stated philosophy of not supporting organizations with political agendas.” [emphasis mine]

So let’s see. The company was facing a difficult time expanding into Chicago. And will not be supporting political agendas. Giving money to groups that work to keep marriage equality off the ballot, or who work to defeat marriage equality at the ballot, is a political agenda.

Meanwhile the anti-marriage group National Organization for Marriage states that they have never received any funds form WinShape. The group which has campaigned heavily against marriage equality said in a statement form their president Brian Brown:

Despite recent news articles claiming Chick-fil-A’s WinShape Foundation donated money to our organization—this is false. The National Organization for Marriage has never received funding from them. We support Chick-fil-A’s philosophy that every person is treated with ‘honor, dignity and respect—regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender;’ and we will continue to endorse ‘Chick-fil-A Wednesdays’

Moreno, who made headlines this summer when he said he would seek to block Chick-fil-A opening in his ward, told the Chicago Tribune that Chick-fil-will issue a statement on non-discrimination.

Moreno said the statement will be included in a memo called “Chick-fil-A: Who We Are” to be distributed to all corporate employees and restaurant operators. The alderman said the memo will state the company’s commitment to “treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of their beliefs, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender.” It also would state that it is the company’s “intent … not to engage in political or social debates.”

The statement does not seem to cover employment discrimination. Since 20o2 the privately-held corporation has been sued at least twelve times for discrimination.  While Chick-fil-A spokespeople didn’t return calls from reporters, it has not contested Alderman Moreno’s statements.

Over at our sister page, Pam’s House Blend, Pam Spaulding wonders

how the  all of those people who lined up for the Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day and spewed bible-beating homophobia to justify the corporation’s open support for hate groups (insisting it was really just about ‘free speech” opposing marriage equality)…

 feel about the company now. The bottom line is at the corporate level , Chick-Fil-A realized institutionalized homophobia is bad for business.

And I wonder if NOM will quietly disband Chick-fil-A Wednesdays. But how can you keep filk away after they’d had waffle fries?

Glitter rained down from the sky Sunday at the Minnesota State Fair as activists sprinkled sparkles onto the Minnesota for Marriage booth and participants shouted

Where’s our booth?! Equality for all!

When the fair opened, neither the anti-marriage equality group Minnesota for Marriage (more like Minnesota against Marriage, since the coalition of the Minnesota Family Council, the Minnesota Catholic Conference and the National Organization for Marriage oppose same-sex marriage) nor the pro-equality group Minnesotans United for All Families were able to secure booths. Minnesota for Marriage –I am trying really hard not to abbreviate them as M4M but I can’t resist–set up a few blocks away outside a church, while Minnesotans United shared space with the Independence, Green and DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) parties.

The local Christian radio station helped out the anti-equality group. Broadcasting from a little white house inside the fairgrounds, KKMS regularly announced:

While you’re visiting the fair, please, stop by the Minnesota for Marriage information booth in front of Church of the Holy Childhood.

But on Labor Day Weekend, the fair’s last three days, all of sudden M4M was given space for a booth, while Minnesotans United for All Families were not. And as the video shows, people felt that was unfair.

Marriage equality is also a focus at the Minnesota House of Representatives State Fair poll booth, featuring the unscientific poll that queries fair-goers about issues that will be on November 2012 statewide ballot in Minnesota, like ice-fishing laws, and an ID requirement for voting, and whether Minnesota should add a constitutional amendment that would prohibit same-sex marriage. The amendment, which was sponsored by the Republican-controlled legislature,  passed the constitutional ballot question in May. According to Minnesota Public Radio:

The Minnesota Republican Party doesn’t promote a position on the marriage amendment at its booth, and a spokeswoman said the party has no plans to do anything with it during the fair.

Independence Party volunteer James “Red” Nelson told MPR:

This is Minnesota. They don’t pry into other people’s business. Let them do what they want.

Alex Hindin, a volunteer for  Minnesotans United at the DFL booth told TwinCities.com:

I just think it’s completely ridiculous and unfair that in 2011 and 2012, we’re going to be fighting about something like whether people should be able to get married. We’ve got so many economic problems; our foreign policy is a mess; the country needs so many things, so many problems to address, but instead we’re dividing ourselves over something like this, over preventing some people from getting married.”

I’m Jewish. And my family was pushed out of Eastern Europe by people when the government wanted to distract people from real issues and pick a scapegoat to kick around. I think I’m pretty sensitive to when the same thing’s happening here.

State Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul told Minnesota Public Radio:

We’re getting folks that say, “Why is this happening? We had the budget issue and we had this focus on the amendment, why is this happening now?’ That’s been the number one question I’ve had here so far.

Fair-going glitter-bomb participant Joanna Hirvela promised:

Wherever there is bigotry, let there be glitter.