With Chick-fil-A’s contract renewal coming due, many students and faculty are hoping to see the restaurant replaced with any of the countless other food options Chicago has to offer. It’s not just about the food, though. Chick-fil-A is widely known for its generous funding of anti-LGBTQ+ laws, conversion camps, anti-equal marriage rights rhetoric, discriminatory employment practices, and more. UIC prides itself on the diversity of its students, boasting about being “ranked among the ‘Best of the Best’ for LGBTQ students.” With so many restaurant options to choose from, and claiming to be one of the best universities for LGBTQ students, why does UIC still support Chick-fil-A, a company with a deeply homophobic agenda, on campus? 

              Many students and faculty are speaking up and lobbying to remove Chick-fil-A as a vendor on UIC’s campus. One of these students, Roni Lee, is the Engagement Coordinator for UIC’s Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC) at UIC. Lee and a growing number of students have spearheaded the ongoing battle against Chick-fil-A. Together, they’ve been making sure the often quieted voices of the LGBTQ community are heard. 

              On the flip side, Charles Farrell, Executive Director of Business Operations and a leading member of the Request for Proposals (RFP) committee, was one of the loudest voices pushing for Chick-fil-A on campus, according to Representative Sam Blin from Undergraduate Student Government (USG). The RFP committee is responsible for the purchasing and management of contracts at UIC. Farrell and his team closed the University’s original deal with Chick-fil-A in the summer of 2017. As representatives of the university, the RFP committee should have taken into consideration all the communities present on campus. However, bringing Chick-fil-A to UIC was accomplished without any dialogue happening between the GSC and the RFP committee, which some saw as a calculated move to minimize opposition. 

              Lee, Farrell, and their respective groups attended a Student Town Hall meeting on February 13 to further discuss Chick-fil-A’s future on campus. At the meeting, Lee raised the issue of Chick-fil-A’s contract renewal, noting their well-known homophobic practices. Farrell responded that he “has little knowledge of” those claims, and assumes that others are equally ignorant. Lee immediately addressed the town hall, requesting, by a show-of-hands, “if anyone had previous knowledge of Chick-fil-A’s violence/homophobia,” which was met with a unanimous show of hands. Farrell brushed this off, concluding with “the GSC should do some educating [on Chick-fil-A’s homophobic practices].” 

              For those who, like Farrell, “have little knowledge” about Chick-fil-A and its homophobic practices and agenda, this petition by Daniela Guerrero provides a starting place for some “educating” on the company’s practices. On top of the transgressions listed in the petition, there is also the fact that Dan Cathy, chairman and former CEO of Chick-fil-A, recently tried to help backroll the Anti-Equality Act. This Act is in direct opposition to the Equality Act, which federally protects lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from discrimination. While Chick-fil-A claims they no longer donate to anti-LGBTQ organizations, Cathy’s donations to the National Christian Foundation (NCF) were directly used to fund the Anti-Equality Act. Given the evidence, it’s difficult to argue that Chick-fil-A doesn’t have a glaringly homophobic agenda.

              Given the history of student voices going unheard in RFP negotiations, and with Chick-fil-A’s contract renewal drawing nearer, Lee reached out to the Undergraduate Student Government (USG). Lee joined their meeting on February 20 to determine what the next course of action should be. This meeting revealed that Chick-fil-A is the highest-grossing restaurant in Student Center East. Ultimately, Farrell and other members of UIC’s administration such as Rob Dixon, Alex DaSilva, and Eddie Mattox are all lobbying to keep Chick-fil-A around, and for one simple reason: the massive amount of revenue this 3rd highest-grossing fast-food establishment in America brings in. Losing the restaurant and its profits would mean a raise in student tuition. The meeting also revealed a clause in the University’s contract with Chick-fil-A, page 39, Item 17, section r, stipulating that UIC can not put in a chicken-based restaurant in the event that Chick-fil-A leaves for a full year. Lee and the USG submitted a formal letter to the RFP committee, expressing both the desire for Chick-fil-A to be removed, as well as the hypocrisy of UIC supporting it at all the following day (February 21). 

              Depending on what replaced Chick-fil-A, students would bear the brunt of the difference in revenue via a raise in tuition. Understandably, students often dread the possibility of higher tuition, and even more so in today’s economy. However, despite the possible rise in costs, it is important to consider the message that supporting Chick-fil-A on campus sends to UIC’s LGBTQ community. Perhaps a better way to frame Farrell’s stance could be: “What is the cost difference between students feeling welcomed and accepted at our university versus the potential losses in revenue?” 

              When asked to comment on the prospect of tuition hikes in response to lost revenue from Chick-fil-A, Dr. Phil Hayek, an English professor at UIC, said “That sucks; it makes it seem like the financial health of the university is somehow dependent on Chick-fil-A.” To put it simply: it’s disheartening that the pockets of students are the first place the administration looks to recover any potential loss of profit if Chick-fil-A were to be replaced.

              According to UIC’s website, their “mission is to provide a student-centered… environment that offers support, [and] advocacy… which contribute to student success.” Where was the advocacy for the LGBTQ community when deals were being made with Chick-fil-A? UIC’s vision statement reads: “Our vision is to be a… leader in fostering a… supportive environment where all students matter.” How is UIC supporting all of its students when they chose Chick-fil-A over countless other options? Chicago currently offers cuisines from 66 different nationalities and is consistently ranked one of the best cities for food, both in terms of quality and diversity. The RFP committee has made their stance clear: Either more active support from the students, or a better financial offer on the table. This is a fantastic opportunity for UIC’s students to get loud and advocate for some of their local favorite restaurants to take Chick-fil-A’s place! Daniela Guerrero, a former member of USG, said it perfectly on the petition: Yes, the chicken is good. But UIC can and should do better. 

Sign the petition to take action now.