Menino vs. Chick-fil-A: Read mayor's scathing letter

Menino vs. Chick-fil-A: Read mayor’s scathing letter

Mayor Thomas Menino is putting the chicken where his anger is.

Menino, after recently making comments to the Herald about his not wanting Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A in Boston, penned a letter to the chicken chain’s president expressing his anger with the company.

“In recent days you said Chick-fil-A opposes same-sex marriage and said the generation that supports it has an ‘arrogant attitude,’” Menino wrote in the letter dated July 20. “Now – incredibly – your company says you are backing out of the same-sex marriage debate. I urge you to back out of your plans to locate in Boston.”

Menino goes on and writes that the city is “full of pride for our support of same sex marriage” and that he was “angry” to learn of the chain’s attempt to locate in Boston on the heels of President Dan Cathy’s comments.

The chain’s president, Dan Cathy, came under fire recently when he made comments to the Baptist Press that the company believes in “the biblical definition of a family unit.”

Fall out from those comments reached beyond Boston when Jim Hensen Company, famous for its Muppet characters, ended its partnership with the chain.

The chain has also been criticized for donating nearly $2 million to anti-gay groups in 2009.

After Menino’s comments last week, the company posted a statement on its Facebook page. Chick-fil-A said the company’s culture is “to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect – regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender.”

“Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena,” the statement said.

The company’s stance on same-sex marriage led to it being uninvited from opening in Northeastern University’s student center earlier this year after students voted against allowing it there.

Read the letter below. (Click pic for full size.)