Burger King takes dig at Chick-fil-A during LGBTQ Pride month with new chicken sandwich

Tanasia Kenney
·2 min read

Burger King is taking the chicken sandwich wars up another notch.

Last week, the burger chain announced that sales of its new Ch’King sandwich would benefit “a wonderful LGBTQ+ charity” in celebration of Pride month this June.

Chicken sandwich purchases can do good “even on Sundays,” the company said on Twitter in an apparent dig at Chick-fil-A.

For every sandwich sold, Burger King will donate 40 cents, or up to $250,000, to the Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization. The restaurant said it wants the focus to be on issues affecting gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans and queer individuals.

“This is a community we love dearly and have proudly supported over the years,” a spokesperson for Burger King told McClatchy News in a statement. “So we couldn’t miss an opportunity to take action and help shine a light on the important conversation happening.”

The announcement comes as Chick-fil-A again faces criticism for its history of donating to several anti-LGBTQ organizations, including the Marriage and Family Foundation. In 2012, CEO Dan Cathy was forced to clarify comments he made about same-sex marriage after intense backlash, Vox reported.

The Atlanta-based chicken chain has said it would stop supporting groups that discriminate against those in the LGBTQ community, but the Human Rights Campaign argues that Chick-fil-A has yet to fulfill that promise.

“Chick-fil-A can’t claim to be turning over a new leaf while simultaneously funneling thousands of dollars towards a group that does not acknowledge the dignity and respect of LGBT people,” then-HRC vice president of communications Fred Sainz said at the time.

McClatchy News reached out to Chick-fil-A for comment Monday and is awaiting a response.

Burger King’s support of LGBTQ rights was met with praise from customers who said they couldn’t wait to try the new Ch’King sandwich, which hit menus nationwide on June 3.

“Bk throwing some much needed shade,” one Twitter user wrote. “I normally order a whopper but i think ill be trying the chicken sandwich this month. No homophobia chicken here.”

“Welp, I guess I’m eating nothing but the #ChKing for the rest of this month,” wrote another.

One fan said they planned to order the Ch’King on their next trip to Burger King — “even if I don’t like chicken sandwiches, oh well!”

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