Johns Hopkins’ students say no to Chick-fil-A on campus

Johns Hopkins’ students say no to Chick-fil-A on campus

Atlanta LGBT activists held a 'kiss in' at local Chick-fil-A's in 2012 to protest Dan Cathy's anti-gay statements. (File photo)

Students at Johns Hopkins University voted 18-8 against having a Chick-fil-a restaurant on campus because of the Atlanta-based chain’s CEO’s well-known anti-gay beliefs.

On April 21, the university’s Student Government Association passed a resolution denouncing any plans to build a Chick-fil-A on campus, stating by doing so would harm LGBT people through “microagression.”

The entire resolution reads:

Whereas the Student Government Association of Johns Hopkins University aims to provide a safe, supportive environment for all university affiliates now and in the future, Whereas the American fast food restaurant chain, Chick-fil-A’s former CEO Dan Cathy has publicly stated divisive statements against the LGBTQ+ community, Whereas Dan Cathy was disappointed after the supreme court’s decision on same sex marriage and stated [via Twitter] “Sad day for our nation; founding fathers would be ashamed of our gen. to abandon wisdom of the ages re: cornerstone of strong societies,” Whereas the SGA vehemently opposes this sentiment, Whereas visiting prospective and current students, staff, faculty, and other visitors who are members of the LGBTQ+ community or are allies would be subjected to microagressions of supporting current or future Chick-fil-A development plans, Whereas several universities such as North Carolina State University and Indiana University have already launched efforts to ban already established Chick-fil-A’s, Whereas when new fast food developments are recommended on campus, the University should seek out other similar non-discriminatory alternatives, Therefore, be it resolved, that the SGA does not support the proposal of a Chick-fil-A, in a current or future sense, particularly on any location that is central to student life.

According to the JHU News-Letter, a student newspaper, the issue of a Chick-fil-A on campus came up after some students posted on the university’s Facebook page they wanted one of the restaurants on campus. The resolution prompted spirited debate between progressive, libertarian and social conservative students.

Last year, students at Georgia Southwestern University in Americus started petition drive to stop the planned opening of a Chick-fil-A on campus. The petition was unsuccessful, however.

In 2013, Emory University students successfully booted Chick-fil-A from its campus after an effort was begun in 2012 that included passing a resolution denouncing the restaurant being on campus in light of Cathy’s anti-gay sentiments and the restaurant’s history of donating to anti-LGBT organizations .