Senate Bill 1978 has officially been signed into law—and a lot of people are upset. What does this particular bill entail, and why has it angered Texans across the state? Nicknamed the ‘save Chick-fil-A bill’, this new law prevents the government from discriminating against businesses who donate to religious organizations. Chick-fil-A is a fast-food franchise that is loved by many, but a certain community of customers is not necessarily satisfied.
The LGBTQ+ community and its supporters have been against the Chick-fil-A bill since the beginning. The original bill was proposed as a result of the San Antonio International Airport’s refusal to open a Chick-fil-A storefront on their property. The San Antonio City Council banned the construction of the franchise due to Chick-fil-A’s past affiliation with and donations to anti-LGBTQ organizations.
On July 20, Governor Abbott signed the bill into law and made it illegal for local governments to take “adverse action” against a business due to their religious or moral ideologies and affiliations.
The Governor shared a video to his social media feed of a Chick-fil-A bill-signing celebration. “Today I signed the @ChickfilA law in Texas. And, had a great lunch. No business should be discriminated against simply because its owners donate to a church, the Salvation Army, or other religious organization. Texas protects religious liberty,” Abbott Tweeted.
Many people have shared their distaste for this bill and view it as a blatant attack on the LGBTQ community.
