New Chick-fil-A is a step back for C.R.

I am a 24-year-old, born and raised Cedar Rapidian. I recently heard that our great city was building a Chick-fil-A by Lindale Mall. Chick-fil-A has been making quite the statement lately (company COO Dan Cathy said in a July interview that he supports the biblical definition of marriage).

I am appalled and disheartened to hear that we would build a place that promotes such hatred toward the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community. Being a part of the community myself, the recent news on the company has lighted a fire within me.

To me, Cedar Rapids always has been a place of acceptance and inclusion. My family came to Cedar Rapids from Cuba before I was born for an equal opportunity. We have always been treated fairly and given the same privilege as others. I would expect the same treatment for those in the LGBT community.

I am invested in my city and there are many of us who are working toward making our community a more accepting place for generations to come. Welcoming a company to Cedar Rapids that discriminates against a specific group of people (as Chick-fil-A does) is a step backward and tarnishes our reputation as a progressive community.

Tera Edmunds

Cedar Rapids