{"id":108939,"date":"2025-02-21T14:03:24","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T22:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/02\/21\/dear-federalist-society-its-time-to-lay-off-the-chick-fil-a\/"},"modified":"2025-02-21T14:03:24","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T22:03:24","slug":"dear-federalist-society-its-time-to-lay-off-the-chick-fil-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/02\/21\/dear-federalist-society-its-time-to-lay-off-the-chick-fil-a\/","title":{"rendered":"Dear Federalist Society: It\u2019s Time To Lay Off The Chick-Fil-A"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Photo by: Michael Siluk\/UCG\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last night, Sixth Circuit Judge Chad Readler appeared at an American University Washington College of Law event. The former acting chief of the DOJ Civil Division spoke to Federalist Society students about the role of DOJ in \u201cDefending Presidential Priorities.\u201d It\u2019s a subject he can certainly speak to based on his experience \u2014 even if the first Trump administration maintained the appearance<\/em> of a Justice Department beholden to the government and the Constitution as opposed to its now explicit mission as Trump\u2019s personal lawyers<\/a>. But SHOULD a sitting federal judge be speaking to this subject? <\/p>\n

Probably not<\/a>. On the other hand, it\u2019s nice to get a little transparency. He\u2019s writing the same opinion either way. If he wants to create a paper trail to undermine America\u2019s flagging faith in judicial independence so he can enjoy a weekend in D.C., then have at it.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not what we\u2019re here to talk about today. Come on FedSoc\u2026 it\u2019s time to let go of the Chick-fil-A thing.<\/p>\n

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<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Every. Single. Time.<\/p>\n

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<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Look, we get it. You\u2019re unrepentant bigots and you want to make that as obvious as possible. It gnaws at you that liberal groups can signal their sympathies by offering cuisine from one of the countless cultures your intellectual heroes work so hard to demonize. Chick-fil-A has given you so many golden moments to \u201cown the libs\u201d at the expense of functional arteries.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s time to face reality. Chick-fil-A\u2019s turn as the go-to gay bashing totem was like, 13 years ago. The history is a little more complex, but essentially the company\u2019s leadership expressed their opposition to gay rights, Mike Huckabee made it a rallying cry for conservatives to flock to the fast food joint as the world\u2019s goofiest performative protest against equality, and right-wingers have \u2014 literally and figuratively \u2014 eaten it up ever since.<\/p>\n

Indeed, we\u2019re 11 years removed from a post on this very site<\/em> about the Federalist Society going all in on Chick-fil-A. Over a decade ago, there remained a modestly colorable defense that students weren\u2019t trolling. I didn\u2019t buy this argument even then<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

It is true that marriage equality is probably coming sooner rather than later. But just like winning the Civil War or winning WWII didn\u2019t rob the symbols of the opposing ideologies of their power, marriage equality doesn\u2019t make it cool to gin up business by embracing anti-gay populace who rally around your product.<\/p>\n

Again, eating Chick-fil-A is a political statement \u2014 even if it\u2019s a statement that you\u2019ve decided not to care. Sometimes there are issues bigger than whether or not something is tasty.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The problem with running the same joke into the ground is that it\u2019s lost most of its punch. It\u2019s predictable to the point it often passes without comment and half the liberals you\u2019re trying to own only know the chain from its \u201cour customers have DISTURBINGLY close relationships with our drive-through tellers\u201d commercials.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Would you delegate the watershed moment of your life to Burger King? I THINK NOT! What about handing your pregnancy over to Five Guys? Wait\u2026 maybe don\u2019t answer that one. <\/p>\n

It just smacks of pathetically clinging to a conservative cultural moment that happened when you were in third grade. <\/p>\n

Hell, a Chick-fil-A order isn\u2019t even a right-wing purity test anymore! MIKE HUCKABEE \u2014 who started all this \u2014 hates Chick-fil-A now<\/a> because the company embraced the verboten \u201cDEI\u201d concept. Apparently its disdain doesn\u2019t carry over to a large enough cohort of minorities for some.<\/p>\n

We understand that it\u2019s a point of personal pride (oops, wrong word for you all\u2026 \u201chonor\u201d) to make these little jabs in all your announcements, but Chick-fil-A isn\u2019t where it\u2019s at anymore. Try something new that gets the same point across. Like:<\/p>\n

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<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I mean, come on! Get creative! There are so many patently offensive options you can try that are sure to keep you ostracized by polite law school society<\/a>. Hand out MAGA hats or something. It\u2019s far more culturally relevant to 2025 than rehashing 2012\u2019s dankest Fox News memes.<\/p>\n

Or you could try being normal for a change.<\/p>\n

Earlier<\/strong>: Is It Ever OK To Serve Chick-Fil-A? An ATL Debate<\/a>
Yale Law Students: \u2018Maybe Don\u2019t Invite FedSoc To Parties.\u2019 Right Wing: \u2018Doxx \u2018Em And Snitch To Employers\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Headshot\"Joe Patrice<\/a>\u00a0is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer<\/a>. Feel free to\u00a0email<\/a> any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0or Bluesky<\/a> if you\u2019re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Dear Federalist Society: It\u2019s Time To Lay Off The Chick-Fil-A<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
(Photo by: Michael Siluk\/UCG\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last night, Sixth Circuit Judge Chad Readler appeared at an American University Washington College of Law event. The former acting chief of the DOJ Civil Division spoke to Federalist Society students about the role of DOJ in \u201cDefending Presidential Priorities.\u201d It\u2019s a subject he can certainly speak to based on his experience \u2014 even if the first Trump administration maintained the appearance<\/em> of a Justice Department beholden to the government and the Constitution as opposed to its now explicit mission as Trump\u2019s personal lawyers<\/a>. But SHOULD a sitting federal judge be speaking to this subject? <\/p>\n

Probably not<\/a>. On the other hand, it\u2019s nice to get a little transparency. He\u2019s writing the same opinion either way. If he wants to create a paper trail to undermine America\u2019s flagging faith in judicial independence so he can enjoy a weekend in D.C., then have at it.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not what we\u2019re here to talk about today. Come on FedSoc\u2026 it\u2019s time to let go of the Chick-fil-A thing.<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Every. Single. Time.<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Look, we get it. You\u2019re unrepentant bigots and you want to make that as obvious as possible. It gnaws at you that liberal groups can signal their sympathies by offering cuisine from one of the countless cultures your intellectual heroes work so hard to demonize. Chick-fil-A has given you so many golden moments to \u201cown the libs\u201d at the expense of functional arteries.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s time to face reality. Chick-fil-A\u2019s turn as the go-to gay bashing totem was like, 13 years ago. The history is a little more complex, but essentially the company\u2019s leadership expressed their opposition to gay rights, Mike Huckabee made it a rallying cry for conservatives to flock to the fast food joint as the world\u2019s goofiest performative protest against equality, and right-wingers have \u2014 literally and figuratively \u2014 eaten it up ever since.<\/p>\n

Indeed, we\u2019re 11 years removed from a post on this very site<\/em> about the Federalist Society going all in on Chick-fil-A. Over a decade ago, there remained a modestly colorable defense that students weren\u2019t trolling. I didn\u2019t buy this argument even then<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

It is true that marriage equality is probably coming sooner rather than later. But just like winning the Civil War or winning WWII didn\u2019t rob the symbols of the opposing ideologies of their power, marriage equality doesn\u2019t make it cool to gin up business by embracing anti-gay populace who rally around your product.<\/p>\n

Again, eating Chick-fil-A is a political statement \u2014 even if it\u2019s a statement that you\u2019ve decided not to care. Sometimes there are issues bigger than whether or not something is tasty.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The problem with running the same joke into the ground is that it\u2019s lost most of its punch. It\u2019s predictable to the point it often passes without comment and half the liberals you\u2019re trying to own only know the chain from its \u201cour customers have DISTURBINGLY close relationships with our drive-through tellers\u201d commercials.<\/p>\n