Sophomore English major Madeleine Moore has no problem with junk food, but she decided she couldn’t stomach one fast food restaurant’s long-held religious values any longer.

“If I want to buy a milkshake at Chick-fil-a, I shouldn’t have to question whether the three dollars I pay for it is going towards denying me my rights,” the Pride Alliance social chairwoman wrote in an email. “Politics don’t belong in waffle fries. It makes them taste funny.”

Moore is part of an effort to have Chick-fil-A booted from the campus, following President Dan Cathy’s declaration of opposition to same-sex marriage last month, which brought the company under further scrutiny in the media for its millions of dollars of donations to conservative Christian groups. While she wants to see a more active protest, other students and staff have turned to online petitioning to persuade Stamp Student Union officials to remove the restaurant. A Change.org petition has gained more than 500 signatures, out of a 1,000 name goal, but officials said Chick-fil-A will not likely leave the food court anytime soon.

The university is already under contract with Chick-fil-A for the academic year and the company provides job opportunities and generates revenue, said Stamp Director Marsha Guenzler-Stevens.

“We are always trying to be responsive to our audience, and this particular vendor has terrific popularity,” Guenzler-Stevens said, adding that she values students’ voice in the debate. “We want to provide this forum for protest; it may come down to students voting with their pocketbooks.”

Across the country, thousands of people have mobilized on both sides of the issue to demonstrate that a quick bite to eat can become more of a political statement than fulfillment of a craving – whether by purchasing a sandwich on Aug. 1, “National Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day,” to sharing a kiss at the fast food restaurant on Aug. 3, “National Same-Sex Kiss Day” at Chick-fil-A.

Petitions against Stamp vendors have fallen flat before – McDonald’s still stands in the food court despite petitions and protests stemming from allegations of animal cruelty.

However, sophomore computer science and linguistics major Jay Ritch said the petition is still a good way for people to voice their opposition and demand change.

“It helps push the issue of gay rights into the forefront of people’s minds,” Ritch said.

Other students said they don’t expect Stamp to lose its Chick-fil-A.

“It’s unfortunate that Chick-fil-A has taken this stance, but they have the right to express themselves however they want,” said senior government and politics major Matt Parsons. “It’s free speech; people should be able to have their own individual choices.”

Freshman journalism major Matthew Present said he doesn’t support the petition, or mixing ideology with lunchtime.

“I think that my eating habits and my political views are different and shouldn’t influence each other,” Present said.

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