Last week, when I was so hungry and too lazy to wait in a long line for something to be prepared, so I caved and had a spicy chicken sandwich with a side of Chick-fil-A sauce.

All reason went out the window.

While eating and wrestling with all the contradictions running through my mind, it felt as if every liberal belief and argument for equality I had lived by almost religiously crumbled in a span of five minutes.

This is something that happens every time I eat a chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A (you’d think I would know better): contemplating whether or not having one of those sandwiches means turning my back against all of my beliefs, or if I’ve traded them for a new set of values.

It feels as if you’re trying to pinpoint where you lie on a map only to find that you’re still just as lost as before.

It’s just chicken, right?

Well, in a few months, a deep-fried, cholesterol-ridden sandwich has become the symbol for the latest controversy in the debate over gay rights.

Yes, the argument that Dan Cathy is free to do what he wants with his company has been heard everywhere over and over, and his rights should be respected (though you wouldn’t find me at a dinner table with him.)

But the more people recycle this argument whenever defending the CEO’s financial decisions, the more I realize the people coming to his aid are forgetting about the organizations it helps fund.

Those religious organizations should be enough to keep us on our toes, with their talk of miraculous cures.

Exodus International, one of the organizations Chick-fil-A has funneled money to, has said on its website it “is the world’s largest ministry to individuals and families impacted by homosexuality.”

On the same site, it has an option called “real stories,” where it “brings together stories from real-life people who have struggled with homosexuality themselves or have been affected by a loved-one’s homosexual attractions.”

Groups like this one offer ways to remedy homosexuality like it were some kind of disease that can be fixed through prayer.

Supporters of Cathy’s decision completely forget that organizations like Exodus International are preaching intolerance by twisting its words and acting like it’s out to save the world.

Though not everyone supports Exodus, we’re allowing it to thrive when we ignore the bigotry it so proudly boasts by offering promises of salvation.

While I do agree with those who argue that a pool of diverse opinions needs to exist to generate discussion, this opinion is perched atop a mountain of intolerance that discriminates against a certain people.

That’s why I feel guilty: People, some family and close friends, are fighting to earn equal rights and acceptance while I’ve continued to spend money at Chick-fil-A, helping to fund organizations that those close to me have openly and actively protested.

We should take into consideration how spending money at Chick-fil-A affects the lives of others, because it isn’t about chicken; it’s not about business decisions; it’s about equality and acceptance of others.

Jaime Lopez is a sophomore journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or denopinions@gmail.com.