Carl’s Jr. Bid for Campus Site Gains Despite Gays’ Protest

Despite intensive lobbying by gay rights advocates, a student-dominated board at UC Riverside on Thursday recommended that Carl’s Jr. be allowed to negotiate for a fast-food operation on the new campus commons.

The action by the Commons Board of Governors capped a months-long campus debate over the political philosophy of the Anaheim-based chain’s chief executive, Carl Karcher, whose longstanding support of conservative causes and politicians was termed “homophobic” by critics.

“Gay people are helping fund this project,” said Aaron Walden, a campus gay activist and member of the board of governors. “Why should they be forced to help a business that works against their rights?”

At issue was the contract for a fast-food operation that will anchor a portion of the UC Riverside commons, a communal area for students that is undergoing renovation.

Although the Marriott Corp. runs the commons food services at the Riverside campus, marketing consultants recommended that a variety of fast-food franchises be allowed to operate under Marriott’s supervision, giving students more options and improving the project’s financial viability.

Marriott officials said Carl’s Jr. was the only hamburger franchise willing to comply with the university’s terms.

Walden and others protested when they learned that Carl’s Jr. probably would be chosen. There are Carl’s Jr. outlets at USC, Cal State Fullerton, Santa Monica College, UC Davis and UC Irvine. But a proposal for Cal State Northridge was scuttled this fall over Karcher’s vocal opposition to abortion rights.

At UC Riverside, the issue was Karcher’s personal and corporate support of such politicians such as U.S. Rep. William E. Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton), known for his anti-gay statements. Also criticized was Karcher’s support in 1979 for a statewide initiative known as Proposition 6 that would have allowed criminal charges to be leveled against teachers who “advocated” homosexual acts.

Although the measure did not pass, state records showed that Karcher’s firm made a $5,000 contribution to the campaign to get the proposition on the ballot, and Karcher personally contributed at least $1,000.

Based on that information, the board last month voted to recommend that the chancellor disallow any contract between Marriott and Carl’s Jr. But that vote was rescinded Thursday after a plea for reconsideration by Karcher’s corporate representatives, who told the board that the corporation bases its political contributions almost solely on business considerations. The officials added that, while Karcher sought to put Proposition 6 on the ballot, he withdrew his support once campaigning began because he felt both sides had distorted the issues.

The matter goes next to the chancellor, who traditionally follows the commons board’s lead on such issues, board members said.