Vandals at a Chick-fil-A franchise in Torrance left a message on the restaurant Friday during a week of protests in response to the company president's comments regarding same-sex marriage.
"Tastes Like Hate" and a cow with a paint brush appeared on the Torrance restaurant early Friday as same-sex marriage activists planned a "National Same-Sex Kiss Day" at Chick-fil-A locations nationwide.
The kiss-in comes two days after a "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day," which resulted in what the Georgia-based chain called a "record-setting" day. Lines were seen outside Southern California franchises, which were the target of protests this week.
The company's executive vice president of marketing declined to offer sales figures to NBC News.
Participants in Friday's counter-protest will lock lips at chain locations.
The flap started last month after Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy told the Baptist Press that the company was "guilty as charged" for backing "the biblical definition of a family.'' The comments led to protests and calls for boycotts.
Outside the Hollywood Chick-fil-A, where the owner has put out a statement expressing his own tolerance and appreciation of diversity, one critic of Cathy said that the chicken-chain executive's views were outmoded.
"It's 2012, jackass. It's like come on," Joey Boyd said. "Things change. The Bible is not everybody's daily lesson."
The graffiti at the Torrance location was painted over Friday. Created with a stencil, it was clearly made to mimick Chick-fil-A's own advertising campaign.
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The manager of the Torrance location said he was surprised by the act of aggression.
Nonetheless, he added, "I just want people to know I have an open heart and a very forgiving spirit."
Torrance Police Sgt. Jennifer Uyeda said authorities were hopeful that the advance preparation needed to make the anti-Chick-fil-A stencil meant that witnesses saw something and will come forward.
As for the kiss-in, only one lip-lock was reported at the Torrance store Friday afternoon, but events were planned for later in the day at a location in Northridge and one in Hollywood.
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