The AggreGAYtor SPECIAL EDITION: The Chikin Chronikles

Activist Just Kusko (by advocate.com)

The Gay Place talks to Chick-4-Gays, homos fight back, and more politicians join the fray. The AggreGAYtor: Chikin Chronikles has flown the coop.

As reported this Wednesday and last Friday , the local response to Chick-fil-A has been swift. The AggreGAYtor took some time this morning to chat with an Austinite on the front lines.

As the former Vice-President of Texas Christian University Gay-Straight Alliance, Eric Russell has been involved in LGBTQ activism for some time; but he never expected that activism to become a business. The “Chick-4-Gays” idea was born when Russell decided to give Hilah Johnson’s viral Chick-fil-A hack a go for his food blog. Surprised by the tasty results, he thought “what if we could make money for the community by selling this sandwich to people who don’t go to Chick-fil-A.”

The modest idea quickly became a big event. Eric, along with partner Tim Krebs and friend Lucas King reached out to Aryel Pena of Arystar Promotions, who connected them to local non-profits Equality Texas and PFLAG Austin. The trio is still looking for a place to host the crowds who have RSVP’d. Russell says “the response snowballed, so we are planning as we go, but it will be a good test run for the catering company we’re starting.” The team expects to make an announcement of the location early next week. Stay tuned to the Gay Place for further details.

Locally speaking, also check The Gay Place for Kate X's own weigh in as well as her interview with Johnnye's Gay-fil-A sandwich maven Laurel Barickman.

• More fowl play: In a newly surfaced video, Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy calls gay marriage support the result of “a deprived mind.”

• Life-long "bachelor" Lindsay Graham and wild-eyed wombat Michelle Bachmann join the pecking order.

• Meanwhile, some elected officials continue to support the LGBTQ community.

• Atlanta same-sex couple partners with GLAAD to invite Dan Cathy to dinner.

• Wendy’s franchise is told to knock it off after posting signs in support of fast food competitor.

• Hamburger Mary’s is frying up some “hate-free” sandwiches with proceeds going to LGBTQ organizations. And Atlanta's FlatIron Bar says lez eat chicken!

• Texas lesbian activist Just Kusko braves the heat to picket her local Chick-fil-A in a cow costume.

• National Chick-fil-A “Kiss-In” protest also has Texas roots.

• Universities continue to teach Chick-fil-A a lesson: University of Alabama students seek to remove franchise from campus while Emory University distances itself from restaurant’s values.

•The AggreGAYtor’s feathers were rustled upon hearing reports of long lines at area Chick-fil-A’s in celebration of Mike Huckabee’s odious “appreciation day.” The Twitter traffic was equally repulsive. Keep fighting little chickies, but remember that we have friends behind enemy lines. Many Chick-fil-A employees disagree with the company position and some franchise owners support our cause.