I think you guys missed something about the Chick-fil-A controversy.

[Tom Foppiano]

The Chick-fil-A commentary on your show (and everywhere else) seems more than a bit odd to me. I love the show, but I feel like you guys are missing a big part of the controversy. I keep hearing/reading, “The CEO of Chick-fil-A is anti-gay. He wants marriage to be between one man and one woman! What a hateful man. Bigot!”

Ok, fair enough. But what else is this person against? Who else does he apparently hate? What are the other lifestyle choices he doesn't support? Anyone? Helloooooooooooooooo? (Crickets)

If you guessed polygamy/polyandry, you’d are right. Honestly, it makes me sad. People with multiple spouses are so discriminated against that they aren’t even mentioned at all in relation to this story. Their rights just don’t matter because only gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people have rights. Oh and straight people with one spouse.

If the CEO said he was against black people marrying black people and white people marrying white people, would you only say he’s against white marriage? That would be really fucking weird, right?

And it’s not just this CEO who is “hateful” either. Out of all of the pro LBGT people that I’ve read about online who’ve been protesting/blogging against Chick-fil-A, not one mentioned they support one man marrying seven women. (Yes, I know there must be some who do, but it seems to me they are few and far between.) But let’s say we did find those few gay-rights activists who do support plural marriage….Do they support marriage between a 30 year-old man, his 50 year old mother, and her 80 year-old neighbor? We know the vast, vast majority of them don’t. 

Yet, when do gay rights groups get called “hateful” for not supporting all marriages between consenting adults? Almost never. If this CEO is a bigot, then so are the pro-gay people who don’t support polyandry, right? Those gay anti-plural marriage people are hate-filled bigots! (That’s how I communicate when I “come from a position of love,” by the way.)

My point is that the CEO wasn’t just bashing LGBT people. He was bashing other lifestyle choices too. But most individuals in our “society” are so openly against all marriages outside of the sacred gay and traditional versions that almost no one even recognized the CEO was speaking out against them. Or if they did recognize it, they failed to mention it because they agreed with most of his position. IMO, the people who support gay marriage but don’t support plural marriage are just as wrong as those who only “traditional” marriage.

Thanks for reading. Love the show.

[alaric89]

Good points. Of all the hills to die on, ("that CEO don't like me lifestyle, me shall protest and bitch") this one might be the stupidest.

[Ylisium]

I never understand the double standard either.

I've had this conversation with some very socially liberal people who, when you bring up polygamy (in the context of consenting adults) just kind of chuckle and state, "No, you can't have that." Very out of hand dismissive attitudes.

So, why the heck not?

I learned to argue to get government completely out of marriage. Let them set up some kind of framework for civil contracts, but keep your religious ceremonies sacred by not defiling them with the force of government recognizing, on your behalf, something you don't believe in.

Everyone wins.