It's Chick-fil-A versus Chick-for-Gay.
As Tea Party members and conservatives rally across the country in support of Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy's right to express anti-gay marriage sentiment, West Hollywood's The Abbey, which has been called the best Gay Bar in the World, unveiled its new Chick-for-Gay sandwich Wednesday.
“With the upcoming election, even our lunch choices are a political statement," David Cooley, founder of The Abbey, said in a press release. "If corporations have the right to spend unlimited amounts of money on an agenda of hate, we as an LGBT business community have to spend money supporting Marriage Equality." 100% of the proceeds from the sandwich will go to American Foundation for Equal Rights and its federal court challenge in support of marriage equality.
The restaurant says it will happily share the recipe for the Chick-for-Gay, a seasoned breaded boneless chicken breast served on a toasted buttered bun with pickles, with other pro-LGBT businesses that want to support marriage equality through the sale of the sandwich. In May, The Abbey banned bachelorette parties at its bar until gay marriage is legal.
Meanwhile, Tea Party members and conservatives are flocking to Chick-fil-A restaurants across the country as a part of what former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee dubbed, "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day."
Over a dozen people gathered at the Chick-fil-A in Northridge, Calif. Wednesday morning in a rally organized by the San Fernando Valley Patriots, as KTLA reports in the video above.
Patriot member Karen Kenney said in defense of Cathy, "That man -- just like you or I -- has a right to say 'this is what I believe' and not be punished for it. None of this is about his business practices, none of it."
In response, supporters of gay marriage have planned a counter-protest with PETA activists at the Hollywood Chick-fil-A from noon to 2 p.m. They will be asking people to donate $6.50, the cost of a Chick-fil-A meal, to LGBT groups.
On Friday, gay marriage proponents will hold kiss-in's at Chick-fil-A's across the country, declaring the day "National Same-Sex Kiss Day" or "Kiss Mor Chiks."
The controversy started July 16 when Chick-fil-A's COO stated in an interview with The Baptist Press, "We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit," Cathy said. "We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that."
While Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Philadelphia City Councilman James Kenney and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel all spoke out against Cathy's comments, Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa has not responded to HuffPost's request for comment.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke out against official efforts to block a franchise from city limits, stating that such a ban would be "inappropriate."
"You really don’t want to ask political beliefs or religious beliefs before you issue a permit," said Bloomberg during his radio show Friday. "That’s just not government’s job."
A “hate-free” southern-style chicken sandwich is also being offered at a Hamburger Mary's location in West Hollywood, in response to Cathy's comments.
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