Following other colleges that have stopped serving Chick-fil-A on their campuses, University of South Florida students and faculty are being invited to sign an online petition to remove Chick-fil-A from the Marshall Student Center.
Dr. Scott Ferguson, assistant professor in the Department of Humanities & Cultural Studies at the University of South Florida started the petition about a month ago on change.org, a website that allows anyone to create their own grassroots campaign in any subject. The goal is to reach 1,000 signatures, and the petition has garnered more than 500. Anyone can sign the petition.
“Inspired by similar efforts at college campuses across the United States, this petition aims to censure Chick-fil-A’s discriminatory practices against the LGBT community as well as to foster a more diverse and just campus life at the University of South Florida,” the petition reads.
A national tempest against Chick-fil-A began over the summer when its president, Dan Cathy, said in a radio interview that he supports the concept of traditional marriage, versus same-sex marriage. Since then, gay rights groups, activists and supporters have been attacking Cathy and the chicken chain.
“Chick-fil-A currently serves thousands of students a year at the University of South Florida,” the petition reads. “However, the company has spoken openly against LGBT equality and consistently funded groups that seek to curb LGBT rights. In fact, Chick-fil-A has donated over $5 million dollars to anti-gay organizations between 2003 - 2010, supporting groups such as Focus On The Family, Exodus International, and the Family Research Council.
“As a campus that stands for diversity and inclusion, the University of South Florida should not fund a company that supports anti-equality measures. LGBT rights are human rights and no university should cooperate with a group that is openly against human rights. By removing the Chick-fil-A vendor from the Marshall Center, the USF community will affirm its commitment to all of its members.”
It is uncertain whether the petition will actually shut down the Chick-fil-A on USF’s campus, according to an 813area.com story. But those who have signed the petition say they won’t support the restaurant.
“USF is a place of diversity and tolerance,” wrote Lucia Baker of Tampa for why she signed the petition. “There is no place for a bigoted organization like this so we need to do all we can to remove it from the MSC dining area.”
Do you think Chick-fil-A should be removed from the USF campus, or do you support the chicken chain? Tell us in the comments.
Jose Ortiz
7:53 am on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
How can Dr. Ferguson say USF "stands for diversity & inclusion" and then call for not including Chick Fil-A on campus? Either you are for diversity or your not but you can't be both in same breath. How does removing Chick Fil-A represent staff & students that do support Chick Fil-A?
Jose in Lakeland
Daryl Dixon
8:28 am on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Because it is only the selective diversity and inclusion that is approved of by this leftest agenda, It is a "If you don't agree with the way I think you are wrong and I know better than you" mentality. They make me sick.
Daryl Dixon
8:34 am on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
I should start a petition to remove from our educational institutions, egotistical arrogant academia that pollutes the minds of impressionable children with leftist socialist ideology because they think they are superior to everyone else.
Krystal
9:30 am on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Children do not attend USF, adults do. As adults, they have the right to do as they please and support as they wish. He isn't harming them by starting a petition, he's giving countless students a a representative amongst the staff, which is hard to do at a big university.
Face the facts that Chik-Fil-A uses the money we give them to fund the manipulation, torture and eventual religion/hate-based genocide of people who are no different from anyone else.
Who someone loves has absolutely no bearing on anyone else, and most certainly shouldn't have entire institutions dedicated to it. With that said, at one point in our history we were this ignorant about blacks, Hispanics, Asians, anyone colored. I hope soon the tides turn and we feel just as ashamed and stupid for how we've treated the LGBTQ community, who are just as much our friends, family, leaders and mentors and openly straight people can be.
Linda Thanasides
11:10 am on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
The administration of Chik-Fil-A has just as much of a right to voice their opinion as does the LGBTQ. When will everyone get it that he was NOT attacking the LGBTQ, but just telling everyone what he believes in? What happened to freedom of speech? It's OK for the LGBTQ, but not others?
Nancy
3:13 pm on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
I guess "Dr." Scott didn't get it LOL Amazing how a simple statement can be taken so far out of context!
Dan Buffington
11:31 am on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Chick-fil-A employs and serves individuals, without discrimination.
We should welcome and respect the right of free speech and the opportunity for open public discourse, even on sensitive issues.
The individuals who work and study at USF are adults and will choose to spend their money in accordance to their personal decisions. Refusing Chick-fil-A activity on the USF campus based solely upon a personal opinion expressed by one of the owners, assuming the company meets the same criteria as any other vendor, would itself be tantamount to discrimination.
Brandt Hardin
3:28 pm on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
If companies are people and people vote with dollars then the destination of the restaurant’s donations are open for public debate. It very well should be an issue as to where peoples’ hard-earned money goes after the chicken goes down their gullet. This issue has made our little feathered friend the modern martyr as Chick-fil-A laughs all the way to the bank. Watch the poultry be nailed to the cross and pierced by the spear of destiny at the hands of those devious cows on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2012/08/holy-rollin-poultry-on-cross-chick-fil.html
Nathan Summerville
3:59 pm on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Well, it takes a male and a female chicken having heterosexual intercourse to perpetuate their population. Pretty self explanatory if you ask me. Just sayin'!
Kenneth Glenn Koons
1:46 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Where does a leftist prof get the chutzpah to tell a legal business entity that they cannot serve food and have a 1st Amendment right to think what many think?? The Left and the Obamaites seem hell bent on stopping all commentaries or enterprises tht do not measure up to their Govt. control. Just look at the coal industry too.
Roger Jones
9:12 am on Friday, August 31, 2012
As usual, the Leftist thinks he has a monopoly on moral truth and nothing could be further from the truth. He is the biggot. He is the intolerant one. He is the hater.
JS
4:09 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
I think this is prejudice against gay chickens.
TaterSalad
8:41 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
$3,000.00 reward being offered for reporting this:
http://www.barenakedislam.com/2012/08/31/3000-reward-for-reporting-tampa-area-schools-that-invite-hamas-linked-cair-members-into-the-classroom-to-indoctrinate-students-about-islam/
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