Chipotle: The Anti-Chick-fil-A-Hole

Well, Chick-fil-A-hole has come to Smallville and within a couple of miles from Casa Bob y Carlos. In fact, I see it every day on my way to work, but, as Gloria Gaynor, then Jimmy Somerville, and the Diana Ross, said, ‘I will survive.’

Still, Carlos fired off a letter to the editor of our Smallville paper, using information gleaned from my many, many blog posts about the A-holes and their anti-LGBT contributions. The editor wrote back that he wouldn’t be printing Carlos’ letter, because this Chick-fil-A-hole—sorry, I cannot help myself—is a franchise, and there is no proof that the franchisee gives any of his money to hate group.

Naturally, that pissed me off, and Carlos, with my rage help, sent a reply to the editor saying that maybe the franchisee doesn’t give money to anti-LGBT causes, but the money he pays for the :::cough cough::: privilege of running an A-hole goes to Dan Cathy, owner of the A-hole, who uses that money to donate to his favorite hate groups, so the franchise does in fact donate to hate. We never heard from the editor again.

But, as Chick-fil-A-hole opened its doors a couple of weeks back, people of Smallville [AKA Smallvillains?] literally camped out, camped out, to be first in line for a Bigot Chicken sandwich. I was stunned; camping out for concert tickets I can see; camping out for tickets to the latest big movie, well, I wouldn’t do it, but I understand it. But camping out for a sandwich is just the height of stupidity in my mind and I began talking it up around town.

A girl who works with me, in fact, complained that she had wanted to stop by the A-hole for lunch but the lines were so long she went somewhere else. I informed her of the restaurant chain's anti-LGBT funding and she looked at me and said, ‘Well, it looks like I’ll be getting my chicken elsewhere.’

Baby steps, people, baby steps.

And then this week, I learned that they had opened a new Chipotle restaurant in Columbia, and once again people were camping out, though it was for a burrito, this time. And again, I thought it incredibly stupid, until …. I read that Chipotle is on the receiving end of some religious rightwingnut outrage thanks to their show of support at Pride festivals this past weekend in Washington, DC and Philadelphia. Over at the Christian News, they even had an article—printed in full, below—with a headline that literally screamed, "Chipotle Tex-Mex Chain, Founded by Open Homosexual, Promoting Sodomy in Pride Parades Nationwide."

A Mexican restaurant chain known for its large burritos made with organic ingredients and ‘Food With Integrity’ motto has been making the rounds at homosexual pride parades across the country declaring its support for the homosexual lifestyle.

Chipotle Mexican Grill participated in both the Capital Pride parade in Washington, D.C. and the Philly Pride parade in Philadelphia this past weekend. During both events, the chain utilized a float upon which sat a man riding a giant burrito wrapped in tin foil. On the side of the float was a sign that read “So big you can ride it,” with an image of a rainbow-wrapped burrito in the center.

The Chipotle logo was also displayed prominently on the float as it made its way down the street while thousands watched and cheered.

The Huffington Post reported on the float prior to the events, stating that the company would “make the round of pride parades around the country,” including the D.C. parade on Saturday. It also advised that employees would be wearing “Homo estas?” t-shirts — a pun of “Como estas?” which means “How are you?” in Spanish.

Chipotle, which has 1,400 restaurants in 43 states, including in Canada, the UK and France, has become increasingly vocal regarding its support for homosexuality. Earlier this year, the company decided to pull its support from a chapter of the Boy Scouts of America over the organization’s ban on openly homosexual members. Chipotle spokesperson Chris Arnold told reporters that it decided to no longer sponsor the Salt Lake “Scout-O-Rama” as the Scout policy conflicted with company policy. The Scout policy was reportedly brought to the company’s attention by homosexual advocates.

“While the Boy Scouts of America is absolutely entitled to whatever policies it wants for the governance of its organization, our policies don’t allow us to support them,” he said.

In a TIME Magazine article written by Joel Stein last July, it was also reported that founder Steve Ells is a homosexual, which is likely a factor in the company’s activism.

“Right now Ells and his long time boyfriend, who is a doctor, are moving a few blocks away in Manhattan,” Stein wrote in his piece “The Fast Food Ethicist.”

While a number of companies across America have policies that prohibit discrimination again homosexuals, and donate funds to homosexual causes and events, Chipotle’s visibility is greater than most. This year is not the first that the company has participated in pride parades, however, as YouTube footage from last year’s parade in San Francisco shows a Chipotle “Homo estas?” float being pulled by a U-Haul truck down the street as a number of individuals waving rainbow flags ride a giant burrito decorated with a rainbow stripe down the middle.

An online photo of the 2011 Minneapolis Pride parade also shows employees taking part in the celebration.

Reaction to Chipotle’s float has been mixed, as some state that the display was a “risky move … but one that deserves applause.” One mother simply called the float “unfortunate.”

Well, well, well.

Now, I have eaten at Chipotle, and always enjoyed their food and their approach to food and service, but dining out that Chipotle is LGBT-friendly, and inclusive and gay-owned? Well then, I’m placing my order for a burrito now because if the anti-gay folks want their chicken, have at it, while the gay folks and our allies settle in for some burritos.

¿Homo estás? Indeed!

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