At the March 26 student government meeting, students at Duquesne University raised a commotion over the decision the school made six days earlier to install at Chick-fil-A Express in Options, the campus food court. The student newspaper, The Duquesne Duke, reported on Wednesday that the Student Government Association is currently looking into the concerns raised by angry activist students.
Student activists fear loss of their 'safe space'
Stating that Chick-fil-A has a "questionable history on civil and human rights," Duquesne student Niko Martini asked the university to re-think its plans to put a Chick-fil-A in the school's food court.
The president of the university's Lambda Gay Straight Alliance, Rachel Coury has taken the argument one step further.
Coury says that she fears an on-campus Chick-fil-A will make members of the LGBTQ community feel at risk. “I’ve tried very hard within the last semester and a half to promote this safe environment for the LGBTQ+ community,” Coury said to The Duquesne Duke. "I fear that with the Chick-fil-A being in Options that maybe people will feel that safe place is at risk.”
Coury, however, failed to provide any specific examples of just how having a chicken stand in the school food court will jeopardize student safety.
Duquesne announced the addition to the food court on March 20. University spokesperson Bridget Fare said the decision to partner with the company was based on student feedback, adding that the company has given the school its assurance on non-discrimination.
Much ado about nothing?
Although Chick-fil-A donated approximately $5 million to Christian organizations that oppose gay marriage in the past, the company decided to cease its donations nearly five years ago. In September of 2012, the Chicago-based LGBTQ activist group, The Civil Rights Agenda, reported that Chick-fil-A had ceased its donations to "organizations that promote discrimination, specifically against LGBT civil rights."
Even though some of the Duquesne students upset over the school's decision were still in junior high the last time the fast food company donated to a Christian organization that supports traditional marriage, the uproar on campus doesn't appear to be dying down any time soon.
According to Coury, it "would be a big deal" if a university official issued a statement "to eliminate the fear of being marginalized by having this business on campus.”
Student Government Association president Olivia Erickson told The Duquesne Duke that the SGA intends to take serious look at the concerns raised by the students.
“We are working on gathering students’ opinions and getting all the facts we can so we can make the best decision," said Erickson.
One fact that is indisputable, however, is that Chick-fil-A stopped donating money to anti-gay marriage groups such as Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council half a decade ago.
In September of 2012, The Huffington Post reported on the contents of an "internal memo" from the fast food chicken chain, declaring that the company will “treat every person with honor, dignity and respect-regardless of their beliefs, race, creed, sexual orientation and gender.”
As a result of the company's decision to reverse its stance on gay marriage in 2012, Campus Pride, a non-profit LGBTQ advocacy group, agreed to drop its “5 Simple Facts About Chick-fil-A” campaign calling for a boycott of the fast food chain.
