Chick-fil-A "kiss in" gets a pass from Huckabee

Protesters hold signs and shout slogans outside a Chick-fil-A food truck in a mid-day demonstration organized by the Human Rights Campaign in Washington on 26 July, 2012 after the fast-food firm's president Dan Cathy spoke out against marriage equality.

/ Robert MacPherson/AFP/GettyImages

(CBS News) Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who led Wednesday's show of support for Chick-fil-A and its conservative ties, said Thursday morning he has no problem with gay rights supporters organizing a counter-protest for Friday.

"That's America," Huckabee said on Fox News Thursday morning. "As long as they're orderly. As long as they don't disrupt the flow of customers and traffic."

Huckabee on Wednesday led "Chick Fil-A Appreciation Day," during which conservatives ate at the fast food chain to show support for its President and COO Dan Cathy, who has unapologetically voiced his opposition to same-sex marriage. Chick-fil-A's charitable arm has a history of donating to conservative groups that oppose same-sex marriage.

On Friday, gay rights groups like the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) are promoting National Same-Sex Kiss Day at Chick-fil-A's across the country.

Activist Carly McGehee told GLAAD she was inspired to call for the "kiss in" because an economic boycott of Chick-fil-A didn't go far enough.

Slideshow: Politicians flock to Chick-fil-A
Thousands line up in support of Chick-fil-A

"Change will not come if we are sitting at home behind closed doors," she said. "We need to show not just the Chick-fil-a company, but the rest of the country that our numbers are great. By participating in the kiss in, thousands of people will get out of the house and show their support for LGBT equality."

Chick-fil-A a rallying point for conservative pols
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On Fox, Huckabee said, "If they believe that this will help their cause - to put people of the same sex kissing each other in front of families - if they believe that will encourage people to be more sympathetic, then more power to them."

Watch House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday tell reporters that she believes in "freedom of expression" for both sides. She noted, however, "I'm a Kentucky Fried Chicken fan."

[dwstick]

At least that creep in Tuscon who terrorized that poor girl in the drive-thru got fired from his job once his boss saw what he'd done! Just when I think that there's no hope left in this country, something good like this happens!
Now, if only ABC News had the guts to fire George Snuffleupagus and Brian Ross over their Aurora shooter/Tea Party smear!

[wethepeople58]

What a pathetic excuse for a kiss! As my Grandma always told me....Kissin don't last but good cookin do! So are Gays protesting the Kiss or the chicken?

[wethepeople58]

The book of Fairy Tales is "Gay Rights", and the fact that this Kiss-in was a huge failure, is obvious to all! Media keeps blocking the truth, but other sides have the numbers who came to Chick-Fil-A to support marriage, including Amish. Was a huge success for the Family unit as God intended it.

[JV1970]

I pray that God and the Holy Bible always win over something like this!

[dawg8u]

I find it amazing that CBS totally ignored Wednesday's story of people showing support for Chik-fil-a but today's protest is front page news. News media should be balanced and neutral. The hypocrisy of ignoring the counter argument to this subject should encourage readers to seek their news elsewhere.

[JV1970]

You are right! The news media should be neutral but CBS hasn't been neutral for years. They are Democratic and liberal and have been for at least twenty years. The days of getting fair and unbiased news on any of the three major local networks, CBS, ABC and NBC are long gone. I've found that CNN gives me the fairest and most unbiased news now.

[Selena1010]

I hear the word "Taliban" thrown around, really? Why don't you go to the country where they come from and demand gay rights or even voice them. Nobody showed up with guns or went out to gay establishments and demolished them. Quite a bit of difference there. Lucky you live in America where the tolerance for your views and free speech is a right. Every bit as much as people who believe marriage is between a man and a woman.

[expatriate2]

OBAMA4ALL Doesn't bother me one bit because I know for a fact that what the gay community does is simply a reflection of what the straight community is doing... You think we invented this on our own?!?!!?!?? You think gay people are the only ones that kinky!?!?!?!?!? You need to get out more!!!!
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What the gay community does is a reflection of what happens in the straight community? Hardly. Going home to a wife is not a reflection of going home to someone pretending to be a wife. Straights never say, "God made me this way." Well, God didn't make a gay man a woman and that doesn't stop any of them from dancing around their imaginary play world imitating a woman. Straight people go home to their kids, watch the Miss America pageant with pure lust, not envy and have nothing to confess to their mothers. Incidentally, Search Nightlife Magazine listed the bars with the best music in New York and not one was a gay bar.

[WHAT-IS-HE-SMOKING]

And why should anyone care what Hickabee thinks? I could less what he thinks of this because I have my own thoughts on it and that is all I have to worry about.

[robinluce]

If we are going to open marriage up to anyone who loves each other--in the name of tolerance--let's not stop with gay--siblings, cousins, pets, polygamy. What could be more tolerant? I apologize for the shocking examples; but, I wanted to make the point: The freedom argument is if you don't like it don't do it; but, don't stop others from exercising their freedom. It's not that simple: if it's freedom you want; why not siblings? Cousins? Pets? Polygamy? You know why not; because that would be anarchy. Gay marriage is one step closer to anarchy. Move an ancient boundary; we all pay the toll. We keep moving them; we keep paying. We all keep paying. Why drag it out? Is anything holy? Remember the Mayflower. We don't have another New World to go to.

[askagain]

Why not give gays a taste of their own medicine. Heterosexuals ought to hold a protest by swamping gay bars. Take their chairs for an evening and simply order a glass of water. If the bar requires the purchase of a drink, buy a soft drink and make it last the evening. Another tactic could be to boycott gay establishments. When gays realize that their actions could hurt them economically, they may resort to less repulsive methods like a kiss-in. Face it, the kiss-in is meant to offend the non-gay population. How many of us want to expose our children to two men or two women kissing in public?

[askagain]

OBAMA4ALL - You miss the whole point of my post. The point is that gay economic interests can be hurt by the same type of tactics that gays intend to use against businesses such as Chick-Fil-A. If it is okay for gays to protest and boycott, it is ok for non-gays to protest and boycott. If gays want to hurt businesses economically, there is no reason not to target gay owned businesses. You know, "What is good for the goose is good for the gander."

[lvnvlady]

Don't know guys very well do ya....two guys kissing...ick, ick, ick.

Two girls kissing....HOT, HOT, HOT.

Just think this from listening to all the perverts....I mean, MEN at where I work.

[freetospeak6]

What amazes me is how all the attention for Cathy's statements is on the gay community. Has anyone actually read or heard the interview? First he never says he's against gay marriage, he says he supports marriage and family in the biblical sense. Now, to those of you who need this to be translated, he is saying he supports man and woman with kids family. This also means he opposes single parent families that are not because of death of a spouse. However, that wouldn't cause as much as an uproar as saying he is against gay marriage.

I believe he is entitled to his own opinion and others should show the same kind of tolerance towards him that they want others to show them about their beliefs. I also believe you have all fallen victim to the media. Way to let them continue controlling more of what goes on in your life then you.

[lvnvlady]

Regarding your first paragraph and thought, I believe that is probably because the public, in general, has accepted women having children without a husband. This could be due to the fact that so many women, for so many reasons, are becoming single mothers. Only 40 or 50 years ago, this was a taboo type of lifestyle. Now it is common place, accepted by most, in fact, the mother need not hang her head in shame as was expected several decades ago. But then, only a few decades before that, women were marching for "women's" equal rights and that was also a taboo issue at the time.

I guess what I am trying to state is that it took DECADES for our society to accept the "liberated woman" and a few more to accept the "single mother" lifestyle. The "Gay Rights" issue is only going through what lots of women had to go through for decades in order to get their equal rights. However, and I could be wrong, I don't recall such a "viciousness" in those previous fights.

Some people have forgotten how to be civil to each other. They are no better than RABID JUNK YARD DOGS, salivating and pulling against their leash, just waiting to be let go so they can TEAR into someone that does not believe as they do. Wish we could all have HEALTHY discussions on these issues....it would be so much more productive.

Just a thought....

[lvnvlady]

Repubs

Just cause you don't believe in the fairy tale, why try to crush other peoples ability to believe?

The bible seems to give alot of good "ideas" of how to live one's life. Why can people not believe it is the "Word of God" just because you do not.

Everyone should have a game plan in life. Some people like the path that the Bible encourages. Others believe they are the masters of their own destiny. Why make anyone with faith feel bad for having that faith....just as why make anyone who has no faith feel bad for their lack of faith???

Until you die, you will not know the answer. And if YOU are right, you won't care cuz you are dead and no more.....but if the FAITHFUL are right....they probably will not get to close too you on that BIG day (you know, the one the faithful always talk about???). You might just end up being a really BIG lightning rod....and they may not want to rely on God's aim!!!