The Maine Turnpike is considering whether to add Chick-fil-A restaurants at five commercial rest stops along the Maine Turnpike.

As a former board member of the Turnpike Authority (2002-2009), I feel strongly that a fast-food chain with a long history of discriminating against members of the LGBTQ+ community does not represent Maine’s values. This chain simply would not welcome all visitors coming into our state on the Maine Turnpike.

Founded in 1967 by a devout Southern Baptist, Chick-fil-A has been a commercial success story. But there’s a problem: the owners of the chain have a long history of supporting efforts to deny sexual freedom and marriage rights for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

As noted by Dan Cathy, president of Chick-fil-A, in the Biblical Recorder, “We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that … thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles.”

Maine welcomes members of the LGBTQ+ community, many of whom will be entering our state for the first time on the Maine Turnpike. Other locations have similarly said no to Chick-fil-A. In 2012, the San Francisco mayor, Edwin M. Lee, tweeted: “Very disappointed #ChickFilA doesn’t share San Francisco’s values and strong commitment to equality for everyone.”

Lee followed that tweet with, “Closest #ChickFilA to San Francisco is 40 miles away and I strongly recommend that they not try to come any closer.” Similarly, the mayor of Washington, D.C., Vincent C. Gray, announced that Chick-fil-A is “not welcome in our city” and proceeded to call it “hate chicken.”

In 2018, Chick-fil-A announced its expansion to Toronto, Canada. This caused a number of boycotts directed at the company and a great deal of backlash from Canadians due to the widespread support for LGBTQ+ rights in Canada — and it also sent a message across the United States about the importance of honoring equal rights in the world of commerce.

While the company has publicly stated it is refocusing its charitable giving on education, homelessness and hunger, its public image and standing with the LGBTQ+ has been irrevocably damaged. As well as facing criticism and condemnation from politicians and gay rights activists, the chain has also been banned from many college campuses and airports.

In response to this “hate chicken” backlash, Cathy, the company president, said in The Christian Post, “I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.’ I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about.”

While the company has publicly stated it does not discriminate in employment decisions and has a commitment to diversity and inclusion, including sexual orientation and gender identity, its past actions and continued family ownership remain troubling and anathema to Maine’s strong commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. Chick-fil-A stands against equality and freedom for all.

America has led the world in the struggle for human rights and equality for all of its citizens, and we cannot ignore our past by restricting personal freedom.“Hate chicken” does not belong on the Maine Turnpike.