Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Saves Bigot Chicken Sandwiches From Gay Hordes

Chick-fil-A now has more legal protections than gay families in Texas.

On Thursday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott took a bold stand for religious liberty, at least if by "liberty" you mean the right of corporations to hate gay people without consequence. Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 1978, nicknamed the "Save Chick-fil-A" bill despite the lack of any danger to the restaurant chain, which believes Chicken Jesus died and was deep fried for your sins, and that's why gays are an abomination. The bill prohibits all government entities in Texas from taking "adverse actions" against any company or individual because of religious beliefs. It was a top priority for Republican culture warriors in Texas after the San Antonio City Council decided in March against letting Chicken Breast Savior open a location in the city's airport.

Since religious freedom is currently protected under the First Amendment, it's not clear the new bill does anything to protect actual religious belief or expression. The original version of the bill included language that would have allowed the state attorney general to sue government bodies to enforce the legislation, but that provision was removed to ensure passage in both houses.

Still, critics believe the bill's overall purpose is to send a message that discriminating against gays is good and holy, and what's more, now sanctioned by the state. San Antonio City Council member Roberto Treviño said in March that granting a spot to the restaurant would send the wrong message to travelers arriving in San Antonio:

The inclusion of Chick-fil-A as a national brand tenant is something that I cannot support [...] The heart of the LGBTQ community is in District 1, and the community has come together to voice its disapproval of this proposal because it includes a company with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior.

Well tough nuggets, you! God wants airline passengers to eat spicy hate, and now you have to accept it!

Abbott was very proud of saving the restaurant that was never in any danger, and used his signing ceremony to promote the brand, because that would REALLY piss off the libs. Surrounded by staffers and legislators holding Chick-fil-A drinks, and with a sandwich box on his desk, Abbott proclaimed Texas safe for hatin' on gays:

Today I signed the @ChickfilA law in Texas. And, had a great lunch. No business should be discriminated against simply because its owners gave to a church or to the Salvation Army or to any other religious organization.

Chick-fil-A donates to great Christian organizations like Salvation Army, which opposes marriage equality, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which formally bans "homosexual acts," like Tegan and Sara or the Indigo Girls.

Beto O'Rourke noted in a tweet yesterday that chicken sandwiches now have more rights in Texas than a lot of gay people:

In Texas, you can be fired for being gay. You can be denied a home for being gay. You can be barred from adopting a… https: //t.co/4Gn8UXWnes

— Beto O'Rourke (@Beto O'Rourke) 1563725939.0 

We liked the MAGA lady who accused O'Rourke of lying, because she personally knows for a fact that her sister and her husband were foster parents, and two of the kids they fostered were adopted by a gay couple, and so there is no discrimination in Texas against gays. Also, "can be barred" means "will be barred," so Beto is a liar. And that's why there's no need for state or federal anti-discrimination laws. Also another lady in Texas has never seen a gay person get fired or evicted for being gay, so it just never happens, and her life experience is more accurate than any summary of the actual laws. Then a bunch of Trumpers accused O'Rourke of cultural appropriation for his nickname and won the argument forever, in your face, the Gays!

[ NBC News / WaPo / Austin American-Statesma n / Beto O'Rourke on Twitter]

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