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Ohio Hockey Fans Take to Ice to Protest Chick-fil-A
The fans got on the Chick-fil-A sponsored zamboni to protest the company’s anti-gay donations.
April 15 2019 10:28 AM EST
April 15 2019 10:28 AM EST
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The fans got on the Chick-fil-A sponsored zamboni to protest the company’s anti-gay donations.
There isn't a single thing in the world that can't be made gayer by adding the words "on ice" at the end. And that goes doubly for an anti-Chick-fil-A protest.
According to a series of tweets from the Cincinnati Cyclones, an Ohio-based hockey team, several hockey fans snuck anti-Chick-fil-A signs onto the zamboni, the vehicle rinks use to clean and even out the ice. Fans can pay $10 to ride the zamboni, which at the Cincinnati Cyclones' rink is covered in Chick-fil-A ads. During a game on Saturday, several fans got onto the zamboni between the first and second periods and snuck on signs that said "Chick-fil-A is anti-gay."
"The Cincinnati Cyclones & U.S. Bank Arena do not condone this type of behavior or the messaging expressed," the team's official account tweeted. "These actions do not align with the family friendly atmosphere that we aim to provide. Chick-fil-A has been a wonderful partner and we are thankful for their on-going support."
The Cyclones' account also said the protesters were removed from the arena and apologized to those who were offended by the anti-Chick-fil-A signs.
Cincinnati city councilman Chris Seelbach slammed the Cyclones on Sunday for what he deemed as a hypocritical move.
"Can't have it both ways Cincinnati Cyclones," he wrote on Facebook. "You can't pretend to be LGBT friendly by hosting a pride night, but also have anti-gay Chick-fil-A as a sponsor."
In March, tax filings from 2017 showed that Chick-fil-A gave $1.8 million to three groups with anti-LGBTQ+ policies, even after the company had said that it would stay out of politics and focus on chicken. The company also does not have a nondiscrimination policy for employees based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
RELATED | Chick-fil-A Donated $1.8 Million to Anti-LGBTQ+ Groups in 2017