ACLU Comes to Chick-fil-A's Defense Against Possible Chicago Ban

If there's one thing Chick-fil-A knows, it's grilling. And, man, the southern chicken sandwich chain has sure been grilled over the past week.

We've seen boycotts launching, celebs tweeting and entire cities saying they want no part of the chicken chain.

However, the ACLU -- despite its clear pro-gay marriage stance -- says not so fast.

The city of Chicago has become the second big city, after Boston, to tell Chick-fil-A it doesn't want its business after the company's president Dave Cathy gave his stance against same-sex marriage.

While in the national spectrum, it may seem Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has long been a supporter of same-sex marriage, is looking to ban Chick-fil-A from opening more stores in Chicago, Emanuel simply think Chick-fil-A's “values aren't reflective of our city.”

In fact, it is actually Chicago Alderman Proco Joe Moreno who is leading the charge against Chick-fil-A, after announcing he intends to block the chicken restaurant from opening more Chicago locations in the future. (Currently, there is only one Chick-fil-A located within Chicago.)

But legal scholars are saying the city of Chicago has no legal ground to stand on, citing the first amendment's right to free speech.

Simply put, as long as no hiring laws are violated, no business can be discriminated against because of its personal views.

The ACLU is coming to Chick-fil-A's defense on the issue, noting if a government can exclude a business for being against same-sex marriage, it can also swing the other way and exclude a business for being in support of same-sex marriage.

Since opening its first store in 1967, Chick-fil-A has incorporated its religious beliefs into aspects of its business, most notably with the closing of Chick-fil-A every Sunday -- considered a 'holy day' in the christian religion.

Even though Chick-fil-A's president is against same-sex marriage, that doesn't mean all employees of Chick-fil-A, which has over 1,000 locations in the U.S, agree with him. The topic of same-sex marriage is so diverse that people hold several different opinions on it.

Chick-fil-A should not be discriminated against because of its personal views, period. It should have the ability to set up shop wherever it pleases, even in the Chicago district of Boystown, the first officially recognized gay village in the United States.

Now, whether individuals give their business to Chick-fil-A is another story, as boycotts are spreading all across the country in defiance to the chain.

While no legal action will be successfully pursued against Chick-Fil-A, it certainly has damaged its national reputation and is scaring off a lot of customers in the process.