Yes, I'm gay, but I don't support gay "marriage" & I will still eat at Chick-fil-A

This post is going to get me into trouble.  It's going to get me in a lot of trouble.  I have no doubt the comments will be filled with hateful vitriol, I will lose Facebook and Twitter followers/friends and I'll probably receive several e-mails attacking me, my beliefs and this post.  This is why I tend to stay away from these topics.  However, I feel like this Chick-fil-A issue has spiraled so out of control, I can't help but comment on it.

I could care less what the CEO of Chick-fil-A feels about gay marriage and gays in general.  He, just like everyone else, is entitled to freedom of speech.  He owns a private company; he can do with his funds how he feels.  As long as I don't walk into a Chick-fil-A and get asked to leave because I'm gay, I don't care.  There are those of you reading this right now that are saying that because I purchase something from Chick-fil-A, that money I am spending as a gay American is going towards "fighting" my community.

Do you know where every cent of your money goes to when you purchase a cheeseburger from McDonalds?  How about when you purchase toiletries at Walgreens?  What about when you buy a pizza from your local mom and pop pizzeria?  Did you know that many major grocery store chains donate money to politicians running for election?  How many of those candidates do you support?  Unless you can tell me with absolute certainty that every penny you spend everywhere you choose to go is not supporting this, that or whatever, then you have no right to criticize me for choosing to purchase a chicken burrito from Chick-fil-A.

I do not believe in gay "marriage."  That's the primary issue gays will never, ever have equal rights in this country.  You cannot take a religiously-backed word, such as marriage, and ask those that believe in the law of G-d to change how they view it.  Step back, take a deep breath, and ask for civil unions.  There is nothing religiously-charged about that, and it gives you the same damn rights marriage does in this country.  In fact, there are tens of thousands of Americans who are straight that are living in a civil union as opposed to marriage for whatever reason.

Is it ridiculous that gay people can't use the word "marriage" without coming under fire?  Absolutely.  It's a word.  However, when you recognize that trying to convince a person who believes in religion otherwise, you will lose every single time despite the commonsense principle behind "we are all created equal."  When you look at the bigger picture here, the idea of marriage vs. civil unions is also ridiculous.  Our country, and planet, have so many bigger things to worry about than who is with who.

I want equal rights just as badly as the next person, but let's face it: African Americans and women have equal rights under the law, but to a lot of people in this country, they are still looked down upon.  Gays are still fighting for equal rights under the law, they're still looked down upon for being "wrong."  The longer we fight over semantics and the things that don't matter, the longer it's going to take for us to achieve equal rights under the law.  That's the first step, from there, it's still going to take decades before being gay is no longer looked down upon.

If you doubt any of the above, just think how the Women's Rights Movement or the Civil Rights Movement would've played out if the Bible said both communities were an abomination, too.