Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister, declared Wednesday national "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day."
Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy told the Baptist Press last month that the Atlanta-based company was "guilty as charged" for backing "the biblical definition of a family." That unleashed a torrent of criticism from gay rights groups and others, who have called for boycotts and efforts to block the chain from opening new stores.
Hundreds of people throughout Massachusetts flocked to their local Chick-fil-A in order to show their support. At the Burlington Mall, the line wrapped around a corner and crowded a large portion of the food court.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino says he won't try to stop Chick-fil-A from applying for permits to open a restaurant near Faneuil Hall; however, in a statement released last week, the mayor stated, "There is no place for discrimination on Boston's Freedom Trail and no place for your company alongside it."
Opponents of the company's stance are planning "Kiss Mor Chiks" for Friday, when they are encouraging people of the same sex to show up at Chick-fil-A restaurants around the country and kiss each other.
Send your Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day photos to pix@myfoxboston.com.
