After a national conversation blew up this week over the role of legislature and small business, Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to set the record straight on how he feels about Chick-fil-A.
Emanuel press secretary Tarrah Cooper called Friday to clarify the mayor's stance on whether a Logan Square Chick-fil-A location would be vetoed because of the company's views on gay marriage.
"He never said he'd block the restaurant from coming," Cooper said.
Earlier in the week, the mayor seemed to back a plan from Ald. Joe "Proco" Moreno (1st) to prevent Chick-fil-A from opening a second Chicago store after chain President Dan Cathy recently vocalized his stance against gay marriage.
Moreno said Wednesday he wouldn't approve a company that discriminates against a segment of the community. "I think it's irresponsible to have discriminatory policies from the top down," Moreno told NBC Chicago. "They're not coming in."
Emanuel agreed with at least the former part of that statement during a one-on-one interview Thursday with NBC Chicago. "The values expressed are not Chicago values."
"Gay couples are our neighbors, our families, members of our own families, they’re our residents- those are our values," Emanuel said. "And we don’t want to have any policy that discriminates against people that are essential members and members who contribute to the value of our city. That’s who we are."
To clarify, Cooper said Emanuel still believes "their values are not Chicago values." But that doesn't mean he would block them.
"If they meet all the requirements, they're welcome to open a restaurant here."
