By Zanub Saeed
Lauren Silich, who owns the only Chick-fil-A restaurant in the city of Chicago, said in an open letter and press release that she wanted to invite Mayor Rahm Emanuel to her fast-food chain and show that their store is open to all people, gender, race, and sexuality regardless.
Silich wrote the letter after she heard Emanuel say he was against Chick-fil-A's anti-gay and anti same sex marriage policies, seeing it discrimination and against civil rights. It also came about because local alderman Proco "Joe" Moreno was ready to protest the opening of a second Chick-fil-A store in Chicago, noted the Chicago Tribune.
The initial controversy with Chick-fil-A began with its president Dan Cathy told the Baptist Press that he was "guilty as charged" for supporting what he saw as the biblical definition of the family unit. In that, Cathy defined it as being only a heterosexual relationship and that that their company was one "family led," which caused outrage in the gay and civil rights communities.
Silich said, "In response to the recent controversy regarding an additional location in Logan Square and comments by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, I would like to invite Mayor Emanuel into my restaurant to meet me, my husband Steve, and my management staff." The press release was issued by Chicago-based website Chicagoist and the Chicago Tribune on Thursday.
"We are a family of deep Chicago roots - my husband and I both came from city worker families (teachers, police, laborers) and Steve is a city worker," Silich continued in her press release. The Chicago Tribune found, through city records, that Silich's husband is a police sergeant.
"We are Chicagoans who are dedicated to serving our community," Silich went on. "We hold fundraisers for hospitals, school, fallen police and we donate to a wide variety of causes, including everything from churches to gay and lesbian organizations."
