March 22, 2012
Chick-fil-A Faces Hostile College Students & Drag Queens
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 3 MIN.
A music video featuring three drag queens protesting the Christian and anti-gay fast-food chain Chick-fil-A went viral this week.
The YouTube video, which currently has more than 570,000 views, shows the ladies chowing down on the restaurant's signature waffle fries and chicken sandwiches while parodying the 1990 hit "Hold On" by Wilson Philips, the New York Daily News reported.
"Someday somebody's gonna make you want to gobble up a waffle fry," William Belli, Detox, and Vicky Vox sing in "Chow Down (at Chick-fil-A)." "But no go, don't you know, Chick-fil-A say you make the baby Jesus cry."
"Please don't sue us for libel. We just want a little meat without your Bible," they sing.
Belli is a contestant on the latest season of "RuPaul's Drag Race."
Chick-fil-A has made headlines this month as college students from across the country protested the restaurant from coming to their campuses. Students objected to the fact that in 2009 the company donated about $2 million to anti-gay organizations, such as the Marriage & Family Legacy Fund, Focus on the Family, Exodus International and Family Research Council, the right-wing website Life Site News reported.
Last July the restaurant sponsored a seminar titled "The Art of Marriage" organized by the anti-gay group that Pennsylvania Family Institute, which opposes marriage equality in the state.
Earlier this month Boston's Northeastern University voted to block the Atlanta-based fast-food chain from coming to its campus after student protests.
"The decision tonight was based on all of the student feedback we've been receiving,'' the Northeastern Student Government Association said on Twitter, the Boston Globe noted.
The company, however, said that the school made a hasty decision and based their vote on "inaccurate information," Boston.com reported.
"We did not have an adequate opportunity to speak to the circumstances on the Northeastern campus with greater clarity and correction," Chick-fil-A said in a statement to Boston.com.
"The most important thing we need to confirm is that we are not anti-anybody and Chick-fil-A has no agenda, policy or position against anyone as some reports continue to represent," the statement continued. "Here's the clarification and correction: Chick-fil-A has been scrutinized of late about our charitable giving, specifically through our WinShape Foundation, and whether or not we have some hidden political agenda. We don't."
New York University students also started a campaign to have the chain from its campus, which happens to be the only one in Manhattan.
"NYU prides itself on being a diverse, open and inclusive campus community," says the online petition, which was created by freshman Hillary Dworkoski. "That's one of the major reasons why I enrolled at NYU as a freshman last fall. Unfortunately, maintaining a contract with an anti-gay vendor like Chick-fil-A undermines what makes this university so great."
The petition currently has more than 12,000 signatures. Chick-fil-A's president and COO responded to the protest in a statement.
"At the heart and soul of our company, we are a family business that serves and values all people regardless of their beliefs or opinions," Dan Cathy wrote. ''While my family and I believe in the Biblical definition of marriage, we love and respect anyone who disagrees."
Unlike North Eastern, NYU's officials say they will not remove the fast-food restaurant, the Huffington Post pointed out.
Watch the video for "Chow Down (at Chick-fil-A)" below: