Dean Obeidallah of The Daily Beast wants the NCAA to stop doing business with Chick-fil-A over their beliefs on same-sex marriage or to rewrite NCAA bylaws so it can "support discrimination against gay Americans." Though he states that Chick-fil-A's CEO Dan Cathy has a "right to practice his faith" and would even "advocate for his political and religious views," Obeidallah states that the NCAA's bylaws "appear to prevent it from partnering with Chick-fil-A."
The NCAA bylaws section he is referring to states:
The Association shall promote an atmosphere of respect for and sensitivity to the dignity of every person.
It is the policy of the Association to refrain from discrimination with respect to its governance policies, educational programs, activities and employment policies including on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, creed or sexual orientation.
Obeidallah asks:
How can the NCAA promote an “atmosphere of respect” and the “dignity of every person” when it allows an NCAA sporting event to be named for a company that publicly opposes equality for all Americans solely based on sexual orientation?
Obeidallah must think that because Cathy does not support same-sex marriage specifically, that he must not stand for equality amongst human beings. Though he admits that there is a constitutional right to oppose gay marriage, he says it is only because Cathy, and conservatives like him, "have just chosen the Bible over the U.S. Constitution."
So Obeidallah is left to wonder whether the NCAA will break ties with Chick-fil-A or revise its own bylaws. Meanwhile during Tuesday's seventh annual Chick-fil-A Bowl, millions of Americans are going to enjoy a good ballgame and a delicious chicken sandwich.


