Don’t Support the Anti-Gay Agenda

IUP students have found that Chick-Fil-A money is being used to fund organizations that represent staunch anti-gay views and influence public policy regarding laws concerning gay rights.

• The owner of Chick-Fil-A, Samuel Truett Cathy, is also the founder of the Winshape Foundation, Chick-Fil-A’s charitable arm. The Winshape Foundation also owns a marriage retreat center built upon the “values of marriage and family.”
• When asked in an e-mail, whether or not they accept members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual) community, they responded,

“WinShape Retreat defines marriage from the Biblical standard as being between one man and one woman. Groups/Individuals are welcome who offer wholesome, educational conferences and programs that are compatible with    Biblical values and WinShape’s purpose,” WinShape wrote back. “…We do not accept homosexual couples because of the statement in our contract.”

 

This isn’t all…

Chick-Fil-A is also closely affiliated with the Focus on the Family organization (notoriously anti-gay), who teamed up with them to produce CD’s of their Bible-based “Adventures in Odyssey” given away in every kid’s meal.

Here’s an example of a petition that was designed to be given to congress by CitizenLink, which is Focus on the Family’s policy and advocacy arm, (taken from their website):

1. “Eliminate government support and funding of abortion in any federal health care program, particularly the new health care law.”
2. “Eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion seller, which received $363 million in government funding during fiscal year 2008.”
3. “No new taxes or fees imposed on American families.”
4. “Defend the free exercise of religion and speech by rejecting the proposed Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and repealing the Hate Crimes bill passed in 2009.”
5. “Support the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and demand that the Obama Administration uphold and defend DOMA.”
6. “Reinstate the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and underlying federal law that affirms homosexuality is incompatible with military service.”

In order to celebrate Chick-Fil-A’s expansion to South Africa, they donated $100,000 to Focus on the Family, taking their anti-agenda into the international sphere.

Blitz-Fil-A Video

IUP Rapid Response went to work and created a video to try and illustrate what an oppressive presence like Chick-Fil-A in someones life is like…

FREE BUS TO HARRISBURG RALLY!

IUP, We have a free charter bus supplied by the Co-Op and funded primarily by the Political Science Department for 50 IUP Students to attend the Rally in Harrisburg.

To get on the bus YOU MUST fill out the form below.  We will fill up the bus on a first come first serve basis.  Get a friend and sign up NOW!

 

FREE BUS and Carpool Form!

Harrisburg Budget Rally!

Hey IUP!  We are organizing travel for students to get to Harrisburg on Monday for a massive rally of college students from across the state!  If you’re interested in traveling by charter bus or joining a carpool click the link below and fill out the form!

Remember, if you start thinking about something you will sit down, but if you feel it you will stand up!

Fill Out the Form for Bus Ticket and Car Pool Info!

Students Respond to Illegal Drilling in Yellow Creek!

IUP students frequently make day trips out to Yellow Creek State Park during those too few precious sunny days here at school.  This space is currently being threatened by MDS Energy who began illegally drilling a Marcellus Shale natural gas well within the protected state park and who are applying for a special exemption permit to drill a well within the conservation buffer zone of Yellow Creek State Park.

On Monday night a public hearing was held in the Indiana County Courthouse and 15 IUP Rapid Responders attended. We came out to learn and to make our voices heard.  We are currently working on writing an official testimony in response to this proposed drilling and building relationships with Friends of Yellow Creek and IUP E.C.O. so that we can SAVE YELLOW CREEK!

Check out the Indiana Gazette article on the hearing…

Indiana Gazette Article on the public hearing!

Join IUP Rapid Response and save Yellow Creek!

New Project Page!

Hey IUP Rapid Response community!  We just posted a new project page titled “Fund Our Future!” so that folks who want to get involved and become leaders in our efforts to restore the higher education budget can get some information on the topic can and get plugged in!

Remember, IUP Rapid Response is only as powerful as the people involved so we’re always looking for more of you to step up!  If you want to help organize around the budget issue please check out the new page and e-mail us at IUPrapidresponse@gmail.com!

Check it out….

Fund Our Future!

Meeting Notes 3/19/2011

We had a Rapid Response meeting on Saturday afternoon with pretty good attendance where we accomplished a BUNCH!  Check out these brief notes to keep updated and to get involved!  ***Event Calendar at bottom of page***

1. Planned Parenthood

2. Marcellus Shale

3. Blitz-Fil-A

4. Budget Cuts

1.  IUP Rapid Responders came together and held a discussion on the Planned Parenthood funding cuts and consequent impacts of such an action.  We then decided to take action on campus.  Following the footsteps of students at Wesleyan University who created this video…http://motherjones.com/mixed-media/2011/03/must-see-video-i-have-sex…and created signs and began filming students in the HUB.

YOU can be a part of this project to support planned parenthood.  Mark your calendars and plan on attending the Women’s Studies Coat Hanger Project Screening Event on Wednesday, March 23 · 6:30pm – 8:30pm in the HUB MONONGAHELA ROOM. Come a little early or stay a little late and take 10 seconds to stand with Planned Parenthood!

2.  IUP Rapid Responders feel a call to take a stand against irresponsible drilling for Marcellus Shale natural gas in our community.  On Monday evening at 7:00pm in the 1st Floor Conference Room of the Indiana County Courhouse ANnex (827 Water Street, Indiana, PA ) there will be a public hearing in regards to proposed drilling in the Yellow Creek Buffer Zone.  IUP students will be gathering in the HUB Atrium at 6:00pm to quickly discuss talking points, distribute/make signs and then head downtown as a group. More information can be found at http://foyc.org/marcellus-hearing

3. We are ready to reenergize our Blitz-Fil-A Campaign.  In the past week we have received the endorsement of the GLBT Commission and are in the process of scheduling a meeting with a Chick-Fil-A representative on campus. We will posting new content on the wordpress as well including new articles on actions taken by Chick-Fil-A and a brief informational document of talking points so that YOU can take a stand and arm yourself with knowledge!  We’re also preparing a new tactic for Blitz-Fil-A.  Herds of students with cow masks will begun appearing on campus in various locations. By creating a critical mass of cows we’ll bring the issue to the forefront of the IUP community and raise awareness for our cows…I mean cause. 😉 Check out the event calendar below!

4. There is a need for a student movement on campus to answer Governor Corbetts proposed 50% budget cut to higher education.  IUP Rapid Response is going to facilitate the growth of this movement through education on the issue and by plugging in student leaders.  There is a RALLY AGAINST THE BUDGET CUTS! on Tuesday March 22, 2011 from Noon-1:00pm in the Oak Grove at the steps of the library. IUP Rapid Responders will be present distributing an informational flyer and engaging students in discussion.  Look for us near the edges of the anticipated crowd and take a stack of flyers to pass out!

EVENTS CALENDAR!

MONDAY:

• Tabling inside of the HUB from 12-4 (Chik-Fil-A)
• Public Hearing on Marcellus Shale Drilling in Yellow Creek Buffer Zone                                                                                                                                                                         -Hearing is at the courthouse on Philly st. and begins at 7pm. Meet us in the HUB at 6pm to  go as a group! (Marcellus Shale Awareness)

 

TUESDAY:

APSCUF Rally in the Oak Grove at noon!!!

You don’t have to be with us to protest the Budget Cuts, lets act up! (Budget Cuts)

 

WEDNESDAY:

• Tabling/Flyering outside of Leonard and in the Oak Grove from 12-4 (Chik-Fil-A)
• Mark your calendars and plan on attending the Women’s Studies Coat Hanger Project Screening Event on Wednesday, March 23 · 6:30pm – 8:30pm in the HUB MONONGAHELA ROOM.  Come a little early or stay a little late and take 10 seconds to tell our video camera why you stand with Planned Parenthood!

 

FRIDAY:

Tabling/Flyering outside of Leonard AND at the HUB! The more people we have at each location the better, this will offer maximum exposure to the student body. (Chik-Fil-A)

 

A note on Tabling: You don’t have to be present the whole time, if you can only be there from 12-1, or 2:30-3:05, thats cool! Questions/Comments or to figure out where the table is contact Pete GK 215-869-7029

 

 

UP COMING EVENTS:

-A protest is going to be planned in Conjunction with the talks with the Chik-Fil-A rep, we’re just waiting on a date for that meeting.

 

-CRITICAL MASS OF COWS! COW BLOC! CREEPS IN COW MASKS! Whatever you want to call it, we’re going to print up a bunch of paper cow masks on card stock with elastic bands. The plan is to hang signs around our necks are show up en mass in high traffic areas to disrupt the daily flow as well as spread awareness about the Chik-Fil-A campaign.

 

E-mail IUPRapidResponse@gmail.com with questions!

 

Quarter Sheet Flyer!

Hey everyone!

A lot of us out there are really agitated by the actions of Chick-Fil-A, agitated to the point that we’ve taken action and are organizing to create real improvements in the lives of those oppressed by the discriminatory agenda of Chick-Fil-A.  We cannot forget though that there are a great deal of people in our communities who are unaware of these recent events.  In order to agitate them we’ve gotta educate them!!!   Hit the link below and you’ll find the quarter sheet flyer we made up.

Print em out, cut em out, pass em out!

Link to flyer.

Chick-Fil-A Strategy Meeting Minutes 2/19/2011

2/19 Meeting Minutes

 

***Access and Print Out the Remove Chick-Fil-A Petition Here***

-Literature should be finished this week and ready for tabling

-Pete Rocksmore has started talking with other organizations from other schools, this creates the potential for a national network of students working against Chik-Fil-A

-There has been a movement for increased communication within the IUP Rapid Response Team. We are seeking to do this through more e-mails (Ida, if you aren’t up for this we discussed the possibility of sharing the log-in info for the IUPRapidResponse e-mail address, that way it can be utilized when needed. Please let us know how you feel about that.)
-In addition to our increase in e-mail communication, we will begin taking minutes at all meetings. This is a shared responsibility and a new person will be designated each week. After that weeks meeting, minutes should be typed and e-mailed to IUPRapidResponse@gmail.com, where they will be forwarded to the rest of the group

-We broke into two groups: Tabling and Petition Language

-The Tabling Group worked on when and where to Table. They will begin this week at Leonard Hall, and         when the paperwork is through they will move to the HUB (right near chik-fil-a).
-Tabling will require:
-A survey that students can fill out about what they would like to see take the place of Chik-Fil-A                     (Chipotle, A coffee shop, A Bagel style restaraunt, etc)
– Print outs of Articles and Sources used for the Literature
–Literature
-Buttons (possibly)
-An E-mail list
-Articles about other Schools who have been successful
-And of course the PETITION!!! (see below for details)

-The Petition Language Group worked on writing a petition that is short sweet and to the point
-This is where I would tell you exactly what it said, but alas, it is saved on Pete R’s computer. He will be         forwarding it to all members.

Finally: BLITZ-FIL-A

Blitz-Fil-A is our current plan of action from now until Spring-Break.
We start monday with a DORM STORM!
-Meet at 7 pm monday outside of the POD at Walwork Hall (Sutton Suites). We will be going door to door     inside Walwork to get petition signatures

If you can’t make the Dorm Storm, fear not! Pete R is e-mailing everyone a copy of the Petition. We are asking all members to print out the petition and do at least 3 class raps this week and encourage their fellow students to sign on. We believe that 25 signatures per member is a good goal for this week, but if you can get more thats awesome!

Our LOW goal is to have 500 Signatures before Spring Break

We are also looking to have what some call an “Event” or a “Happening” but what we like to call a good ol’ fashion “Protest” outside of Chik-Fil-A on Wednesday of next week. More info on that as it develops.

Hope everyone is doing well 🙂

Recap of Mike Lemasters Meeting

From the meeting with Michael Lemasters, Associate Dean of Students, we learnedChick-Fil-A’s contract and presence dependent on the student voice.

Students determine the existence of Chick-Fil-A on campus, it is up to US to tell IUP what we want. If Chick-Fil-A is going to be gone by August, we’ve got a lot of work to do before June. Spread the word, talk to your professors, this is our time.