Forum Held on the Chick-fil-A Debate

Speaking of...Chick-fil-A forum on Wednesday (photo by Miranda Smith)

By Miranda Smith

Wednesday evening’s “Speaking Of...Chick-fil-A” forum drew a huge crowd of Trinity students, staff, and faculty. Nearly 100 people filled up the Waxahachie room.

The focus of discussion was whether or not to continue including the fast food chain as part of the Revolve at the Coates Center.

Dean of Students David Tuttle moderated the evening’s discussion. He explained that the event is “supposed to be a free marketplace where students can come and share ideas about issues; this is a chance to have their voices heard."


Noting the sensitivity of the issue, Tuttle said that recording of the discussion would not be allowed. Some of the students speaking at the forum were not identified for the same reason.

Chick-fil-A has been featured in national news for both its extensive history of donating to organizations against LGBTQ+ rights and its COO’s anti-gay sentiments. Responding to this, some students have felt marginalized by the restaurant’s recent implementation as a bi-weekly dining option on campus.

“You can’t take a passive stance on this because you’re giving [Chick-fil-A] your money; you’re indirectly supporting a cause that is wrong," said one student. Other students echoed this view, "Chick-fil-A will always be there outside of Trinity, but as a university we have values to uphold, and the company doesn’t uphold them."

From the perspective of junior Cristina Trevino, “individual consumers aren't the real issue. It isn't about students that enjoy Chick-fil-A personally. The issue is engaging in business with institutions whose missions don't match [Trinity's] own.”

On the other hand, some people argued that the value issue is irrelevant to students’ enjoyment of the chain’s food. Much of these students’ discussion focused on identifying solutions that would satisfy both sides. 

One suggestion was to replace the fast food chain with another restaurant offering similar fare, such as Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers. This would provide an equally-satisfying alternative and eliminate the unwitting patronizing of Chick-fil-A due to personal cravings for chicken.

While this proposal did not face any direct disagreement from the crowd, several other students noted that Chick-fil-A is hardly alone in its contentious practices. They mentioned that the chain is just one out of many companies hurting certain groups through their operations.

For instance, Nike, which manufactures some of the Trinity spirit-wear sold on campus, is also criticized for its potentially unethical treatment of their international workers. Another participant noted that Chick-fil-A donates to the parent organization of one of Trinity’s clubs, Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Realizing these difficult considerations that Trinity will face in deciding whether to allow Chick-fil-A’s presence, participants of the forum seemed to be left with more questions than answers.

In the coming weeks, SGA and Tuttle will discuss how the university will address the issue, and invite students with additional perspectives to contact either.