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What Does ‘Chickens For KFC’ Mean And Who Was Netanyahu Calling Out? The Viral Catchphrase And Meme Explained
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a joking analogy about LGBTQ pro-Palestine protesters in a speech to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, saying, "Some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming 'Gays for Gaza.' They might as well hold up signs that say 'Chickens for KFC,'" comparing the protesters to chickens who support the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) fast-food chain restaurant.
Netanyahu's speech caused a stir of reactions online, showing how the Hamas-Israel Conflict might be dividing the LGBTQ+ community, while also causing a resurgence in the catchphrase being used.
The Israeli Prime Minister is not the first to use the "Chickens for KFC" catchphrase as a rhetorical analogy targeting other minority groups that shows support for a cause that they could be targeted by. Here's the full story behind the slang term and the memes about it on social media.
What Does 'Chickens For KFC' Mean?
"Africans for Colonialism," "Polar Bears for Fossil Fuels," "Gays for Trump" and "Chickens for KFC" could all share the same rhetorical analogy according to X / Twitter user @decolonialqueer, who tweeted the comparison back in November 2016 after a Donald Trump supporter was spotted in a protest in Brazil carrying a "Gays for Trump" sign.
How Did 'Chickens For KFC' Become A Viral Catchphrase Meme?
The "chickens for KFC" catchphrase became a prominent expression going into the early 2020s, especially used among conservatives attempting to criticize queer pro-Palestine protestors, as thousands of LGBTQ+ Americans are denouncing Israel’s military offense in Gaza as an act of genocide.
In an interview for the CBS Austin website from October 2023, Israeli technology consultant explained the same U.S. groups advocating for Hamas would likely be killed by the terrorist regime that controls the Gaza Strip.
The escalated tension between Hamas and Israel catapulted the usage of "chickens for KFC" in memes, jokes and posts related to queer pro-Palestine protestors. For example, on January 28th, 2020, X user @MahyarTousi posted the earliest viral comparison of the "chickens for KFC," using it as a caption alongside a picture of students from the University of Sydney Queer Action Collective.
Why Did Netanyahu Call Queer Pro-Palestine Protestors ‘Chickens For KFC’?
Netanyahu’s "Chickens for KFC" remark came in response to a recent poll in which some 20 percent of respondents say they back Hamas over Israel in the war in Gaza.
He stated to the U.S. Congress that "people who protest with these killers … You have Gays for Gaza. That’s an absurdity if I’ve ever heard one. If you are gay in Gaza, you’ll be shot in the back of the head. Women for Gaza. What are women in Gaza — they’re chattel and other such absurdities.”
For the full history of Chickens For KFC, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.
