[Vol. 58] No More Burgers for Conservatives
Is there anything more un-American than not eating a burger because you don’t believe in “liberty and justice for all”* ?
Happy Tuesday, everyone :)
We’re back! Last week was one big ol’ blur of tissue paper, painful swallowing, and weird fever dreams, but now I can confidently say we are on the up-and-up.
Some have called it the gay plague (because so many got severely sick after Pride weekend) others know it as the summer cold – whatever you want to call it, it’s nasty and I hope you live out the rest of your hot girl summer (TM) unbothered by this pesky virus. Manifesting a happy and healthy summer 2021 for you :)
Anyways, let’s talk about anti-LGBTQ+ organizations and their strike on burgers.
As how we live our day-to-day lives becomes more and more entangled with our political views, certain conservative groups in the U.S. feel they’re running out of options in the drive-thru department.
According to LGBTQ+ Nation, Christian faith-based consumer organization 2nd Vote is at the center of this storm. Touting itself as a “Conservative Watchdog for Corporate Activism”, 2nd Vote rates U.S. companies based on their support for “traditional” Christian values and how “left” or “right” their ideals swing. Their scoring system is simple – if you score closer to a 1.00, you’re a to-be-avoided liberal; if you score near a 5.00, you’re the perfect conservative.
It’s basically the exact opposite of the Human Right’s Campaign’s corporate scoring system, the Corporate Equality Index (which rates companies based on their support for LGBTQ+ rights and protections), and so naturally, one informs the other.
When the HRC gave perfect scores to McDonalds, Wendy’s and Burger King, 2nd Vote clung to their store-bought frozen patties for dear life.
According to LGBTQ+ Nation, all 2nd Vote had to say was that “both [McDonald’s and Burger Kind] should be avoided whenever possible,” due to their “leftist” values. Wendy’s is barely off the hook – their recent contributions to Christian and pro-life-based causes saved them by a hair (*whew* close one).
Now look, I understand not wanting to eat somewhere or support some establishment that supports causes you’re against – hell, that’s why I gave up eating at Chick-Fil-A (notorious for its numerous donations straight to the pockets of anti-LGBTQ+ legislators, Chick-Fil-A received a big fat 0 from the HRC this year).
I will just never understand how you could choose hate over a burger.
Of all the valid reasons to eat less fast food – your health, your interest in environmentalism/sustainability, your passion for animal rights – “beCaUSe tHEy’Re toO iNclUsivE” is the one you’re going with? Really??
Is this really the hill we’re going to die on? It bamboozles me, it really does.
If 2nd Vote said they denounce McDonald’s or Burger King for their financial contributions to liberal politicians, then I might understand their argument. If you’re a conservative, I get that you wouldn’t want to support companies associated with liberal actors – if I said I didn’t get that then I’d be a hypocrite.
What I don’t understand, however, is this convoluted belief that supporting LGBTQ+ human rights is automatically an assault on conservative or “traditional” values.
This isn’t politics anymore – or at least it shouldn’t be.
This is when you’ve entered the realm of human equality, which, might I add, is included in the “traditional values” Christianity and this country were technically founded upon.
Think about it: Is there anything more un-American than not eating a burger because you don’t believe in “liberty and justice for all”* ?
*for those that didn’t grow up in the American school system, this is a direct quote from the Pledge of Allegiance – something we literally had to recite every single morning in elementary school. Ironic, isn’t it?
In my opinion, patrons of conservative/religious organizations like 2nd Vote really need to take a good hard look in the mirror after their morning brush and ask themselves how many of their “traditional values” they’re really willing to take to heart.
When you start boycotting companies for preaching love, you’re way off the deep end.
P.S. Our apartment’s stuffed Octopus is also very much bamboozled by these conservative’s burger banning choices …
*CORRECTION: A previous version of this newsletter quoted the Pledge of Allegiance as reading “liberty and equality for all,” when in actuality it reads “liberty and justice for all”. Can’t believe that went over my head after all these years of reciting the Pledge, but nonetheless, the correction was made.
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See you in Volume 58, folks!
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