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Victoria "kiss-in" becomes act of reconciliation

  • Caty Hirst •
  • Originally published August 3, 2012 at 10:48 p.m., updated August 4, 2012 at 7:48 a.m.

To support the national "Kiss-in" day at Chick-fil-A on Friday, the Victoria Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender group came to the Chick-fil-A on Navarro Street.

But, instead of making out, as planned nationally, the group of 10 ordered food and drinks and sat down to eat.

"Just because of one man's opinion, I'm not going to stop eating chicken," Amanda Casillas, of Victoria, joked.

Casillas, along with her girlfriend, said Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy was disrespectful with his comments, but she would not be punish the company nor its workers.

"We will come in and eat, and we won't do something out of disrespect," she said. "But we have a right to be here."

Karen Leach, of Victoria, was kicked out of the same Chick-fil-A six years ago with an ex-girlfriend.

"The owner came over and he said that we need to sit on opposite sides of each other because he didn't want to see it anymore," Leach said. "He told us to hurry up and finish our food and leave and to never come back. He threatened to call the cops."

She came back for the first time, she said, to show her support for gay and lesbians.

The new owner, David Murphy, bought the Chick-fil-A in 2009. He took the opportunity to apologize to Leach for what happened.

"I'm sorry that it happened, but I'm glad I got to meet you and clear that up," Murphy told Leach in the parking lot. "It never would have happened under my watch."

Dana Mereness, of Victoria, was eating Chick-fl-A with her husband, a few booths away from the group.

"I'm just glad that we have people who stand up for what they think is right and that they do it in a lawful way, friendly way," Mereness said. "They have a right to be here as much as anyone else."