updated - May 18, 2013 Saturday EDT
A new Chick-fil-A has opened in Prince George's County in Maryland on Thursday and County Council member Karen Toles attended the opening in District Heights, not as a political statement, but to celebrate the economic development in her community, The Washington Times reports.
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Toles is a Democrat but supports any form of advancement for the county.
"When you have someone who hires over 100 people from your county alone, that is something to celebrate," Toles said. The decision whether to eat at Chick-fil-A has become a hot-button issue since the fast food company's president opened up about his support for traditional marriage.
Chick-fil-A recently sparked a pro and anti-gay marriage debate which got many politicians and CEO's involved. The controversy started last month with comments by company president and COO Dan Cathy, suggesting that he opposed gay marriage.
Cathy told a religious publication that the company backed "the biblical definition of a family" and later said: ""I think we are inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say, 'We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage."'
Former GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum, Dallas megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress and former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin joined in the debate, urging their supporters to give Chick-fil-A their business. Dozens of photos were posted to Twitter on showed Chick-fil-A locations packed with people or lines out the door.
Gay rights activists and backers of same-sex marriage held "kiss-ins" at Chick-fil-A restaurants across the United States on Friday to protest the fast-food chain president's opposition to homosexual unions.
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