By Avery Veatch

Alexandra, who requested that we that we not use her last name because she fears it could potentially affect her future career, is a lesbian. She is a 21-year-old junior studying political science at USF. She says that she has known about her sexuality since she was about 13 years old, but 'came out' to her friends and family only one year ago, on her 20th birthday.

"At first it was hard, but I am finally starting to feel comfortable with who I am," Alexandra said.

One of Alexandras favorite things is food. She has tried more than 30 different restaurants, many of which she re-visits often, but one place she refuses to eat at is Chickfil-A.

Alexandra is just one of the thousands of students in the LGBT community at USF, and she has recently joined millions of others, of all sexual orientations, from all over the country, in the Chick-fil-A boycott to protest Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy's support of 'Biblical families', and the company's numerous donations to anti-gay organizations.

"We have worked for a long time to get to where we are in this social world," Alexandra said. " If Chick-fil-A doesn't want to support me with who I am, then I'm sure as hell not going to support them."

In addition to the boycott, USF assistant professor of humanities and cultural studies, Scott Ferguson, began a petition to have the Chick-fil-A on campus in the Marshall Student Center removed.

Ferguson has refused to comment to us about the issue, but has acquired more than 800 signatures on the petition, from both students and faculty.

However, not every one feels as strongly toward Chick-fil-A for their discrimination. Many other students are not participating in the boycott for various reasons of their own.

"Everyone has an opinion. I have many gay friends, and I love them. But just because Chick-fil-A doesn't feel the same way, doesn't mean I'm going to stop eating their food," said Melissa Jordan, a USF sophomore studying public health.

An engineering junior named Allen Ferrell, who is gay, has a different stance on the boycott.

"I'm gay, and damn proud of it," said Ferrell. "But I can't resist those tasty nuggets anymore than I can a good looking guy, no matter what the reason is for."

Besides personal opinions on the issue, many people question whether the boycott will make a difference in changing the company's actions or beliefs.

"I'm just one person in this world, and the boycotters are just a few million. There is no way we are really changing things. People are always going to have different views, so I rather eat good food in the mean time," said Candice Biel, an accounting freshman.

According to business experts, boycotts dont usually affect the corporation as a whole, but instead, hurt the owners of the individual locations.

This is further supported because even with the boycott, the company remains the second largest chicken restaurant chain in the United States for 2012, according to the Chick-fil-A website.

USF Dining Services employee, Nicholas Loor, works in the Marshall Student Center, and comments on the consumer traffic for this Chick-fil-A location.

I have not seen any decrease in people buying their food at all, said Loor.

Regardless of the potential for this boycott, students opposing of Chick-fil-As intolerance of LGBT rights, plan to hold their ground with the issue.

"We aren't expecting to shut down the company," said USF senior Jenni Sena. "USF is a very diverse university. We are just trying to preserve that, and stand up for ourselves and for others who feel attacked by Chick-fil-A."