Bingo! That's why there are gay Republicans!

It's OK for a group of private citizens to hold a counter protest against a hate-filled group. It is NOT OK for the government or a government official to block the free speech of an individual or a group.

You can disagree with me, you can speak out against me when I post, you can even go to the length of trolling me every time I log on, and since this is a private site Mark or another Mod can ban me from the site entirely to shut me up... but the government is (supposed to be) restricted from doing so by the First Amendment.

Homosexual groups are planning a 'kiss in' in front of, or inside Chick-fil-a's. Good for them! I have not a problem in the world with that as long as they are not disrupting normal business operations (and no, I don't think Pro-Life groups should be allowed to interfere, beyond protesting, with the operation of abortion clinics either... in case you were wondering).

I would say so. If nothing else the running of a business is linked to the right to own and do what you will with your property.

Last I checked a business could support whatever non terrorist groups it wants and it's CEO can spout whatever nonsense comes to mind without fear of government reprisal. Public reprisal? Well that's the thing they should have to worry about.

I would say that some (not all, or even most) aspects of running a business fall under free speech, but you are right... they must follow laws including anti-discrimination and anti-fraud laws that limit both speech and how they decide to run there business. (and obviously that is only a slight fraction of the rules and regulations businesses must adhere to).

If Chick-fil-a broke the law by denying service or employment based on homosexuality then they deserve to have the government come after them. Donating to groups that support traditional marriage and having the CEO declare a stance that until this year the president would not openly disagree does not require government to swoop in to 'protect the masses'... the masses are quite capable of making there own choice on whether or not to support that business by either working there or buying there products.

And here, as a non-smoker/heterosexual I fully support someone's right to smoke, to be with smokers in public and to even light up in appropriate areas. I don't want it around my kids, and the smokers I know are courteous to not openly smoke around me until they head to bed... and it's not that I'll hate my kids for smoking if they choose to do so, it's that it's not a choice I would hope for, but as adults I will accept there decision to smoke and hope they do so responsibly.

His letter was fine, it was his comments prior to the letter that crossed the line... From Time Magazine:

“Chick-fil-A doesn’t belong in Boston,” Menino told the Boston Herald on Thursday. “You can’t have a business in the city of Boston that discriminates against the population. We’re an open city, we’re a city that’s at the forefront of inclusion. That’s the Freedom Trail. That’s where it all started right here. And we’re not going to have a company, Chick-fil-A or whatever the hell the name is, on our Freedom Trail.”

...

But Menino just may succeed in effectively banning the chain from Boston: The mayor blocked the development of a Walmart in Roxbury last year, citing the retail empire’s negative impact on neighborhood business and lower-wage workers as his motivation. Now, he plans to offer Chick-fil-A a similar hurdle-laden policy. “If they need licenses in the city, it will be very difficult,” Menino said. “Unless they open up their policies.”

That is a threat of action, not just disagreement of ideas, and he has done it to another company he disagrees with already so it's not simply an idle threat.

Still looking for these evil anti-gay hate groups... you know the ones running around with pitchforks looking for gays to burn at the stake. There is ONE group that fights to defend traditional marriage (NOT to enact sodomy laws) that lobbied to change language in a bill to remove assertions that homosexual conduct is internationally recognized as a fundamental human right. Gee, what a horror! Also it is to be noted that any company that donates to a Church, the Boy Scouts, the United Way, Catholic Charities and hundreds of other 'hate groups' should also be boycotted for the same reasons... good luck buying anything at all!

Now, if you want to look beyond the rhetoric and hype and allow people to hold an opinion... and to express it... then it really shouldn't be a big deal. Would you rather the CEO of Chick-fil-a hide his donations or lie about what he believes? At least this way, the people who care about the issue can choose whether or not they want to support the company. Until they break the law I really don't care enough to either stop eating there or to drive 75 miles to make a point by eating there.

Oh, and I am enjoying a delicious Oreo as I type this... so