More baby steps

Step by step, little by little, person by person, the message is getting through — it's not cool to hate. Who's on the right side of history now? The Scots and ... the Muppets!

The Muppets are ending their relationship with fast food restaurant chain Chick-Fil-A in a show of support for gay marriage, the creators of the puppet troupe said on Monday.

"The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors," the company said in a statement posted on their official Facebook page.

The Henson company, named after the creator of lovable characters like Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, supplied their Creature Shop Muppet toys to Chick-Fil-A for children's meal packages but decided to sever ties after recent statements by the fast-food chain's Chief Executive Dan Cathy.

Cathy told the Baptist Press in a recent interview the company supported the "traditional family," and "the biblical definition of the family unit."

Chick-fil-A, for those who haven't been paying attention, has been quite public about idealizing the "biblical definition of the family unit" — read: not Adam and Steve. According to the Los Angeles Times, it has donated millions of dollars ($2 million in 2010 alone) to groups opposing homosexuality. It also sponsors annual Daddy Daughter Date Nights, one of those odious "purity balls" in everything but name.

I've only eaten there once, as far as I can remember, but it will remain at one. I value standing up for my beliefs and opposing homophobia more than tasty chicken sammiches.

Speaking of tasty, here's this news nugget from the people who gave us the deep-fried Mars bar:

Scotland's government has announced plans to legalize same-sex marriages.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Wednesday that legislation permitting the marriages would soon be introduced.

The measure has backing from the major Scottish political parties. It follows a public consultation on the issue.

When enacted, Scotland could become the first part of the UK to allow same-sex marriages.

The UK government has conducted a public consultation on legalizing same-sex marriages, and it has the backing of Prime Minister David Cameron. But UK officials are waiting for the results of the public consultation before taking further steps.

Bless those Scots, boldly going where the precious English fear to tread. It's nothing less than what you'd expect from those who invented the modern world.

EDIT: And now the Kiwis are joining in, too! A bill on marriage equality is going before the legislature — apparently MPs' bills can get on the agenda by being drawn at random. New Zealand just has to be a little different, doesn't it?

EDIT 2: And now ... Vietnam? Didn't see that one coming.