People Are Still Mad At Chick-fil-A After They Announced They’ve Stopped Donating To Anti-LGBTQ Groups
When Chick-fil-A announced a change to its foundation, and more specifically, the organizations the company will donate to, it was bound to make noise. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Salvation Army were both noticeably absent from the list; both organizations were previously the source of criticism from LGBTQ groups.
While the move does reduce funding to an organization that specifically states in its application that homosexual acts are not acceptable to God, it also angered a lot of people who believe Chick-fil-A is caving to demands from the left as well as the groups losing money.
Here's where the major players stand:
Chick-fil-A
According to the fast food chain's announcement, this change is about "Staying true to its mission of nourishing the potential in every child." While the company did not specifically address the issue of LGBTQ rights in this change, the president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, Tim Tassopoulos, said in a statement to CNN that "No organization will be excluded from future consideration—faith-based or non-faith-based." This opens the door to support for organizations who may have the same beliefs as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in the future.
Salvation Army
While the Salvation Army has a history of LGBTQ discrimination, they say they now serve "more than 23 million individuals a year, including those in the LGBTQ+ community." In a statement to Delish, they continued, "In fact, we believe we are the largest provider of poverty relief to the LGBTQ+ population. ... We urge the public to seek the truth before rushing to ill-informed judgment and greatly appreciate those partners and donors who ensure that anyone who needs our help feels safe and comfortable to come through our doors."
GLAAD
Drew Anderson, the director of campaigns at GLAAD, which supports and advocates for members of the LGBTQ community, said this in a statement, per CNN:
Chick-fil-A investors, employees and customers can greet today’s announcement with cautious optimism, but should remember that similar press statements were previously proven to be empty. In addition to refraining from financially supporting anti-LGBTQ organizations, Chick-fil-A still lacks policies to ensure safe workplaces for LGBTQ employees and should unequivocally speak out against the anti-LGBTQ reputation that their brand represents.
Those Opposed
Some Chick-fil-A supporters, including former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, feel betrayed by the move.
In Aug 2012, I coordinated a national @ChickfilA Appreciation Day after they were being bullied by militant hate groups. Millions showed up. Today, @ChickfilA betrayed loyal customers for $. I regret believing they would stay true to convictions of founder Truett Cathey. Sad.
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) November 18, 2019
Our friends from @ChickfilA backstabbing the people who made them successful https://t.co/FGryvqp8nz
— Dan Gainor (@dangainor) November 18, 2019
.@ChickfilA had invaluable brand loyalty because of their beliefs and convictions.
Their customers were brand ambassadors who appreciated that they stood their ground while the rest of corp. America caved to leftist radicals.
Now they’re just another fast food chicken place.— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) November 19, 2019
Those In Favor
There hasn't been a ton of vocal support for the decision, but some are cautiously optimistic. Others take the position of, "it's just a chicken sandwich."
Chick Fil A is getting attacked more now for bending the knee
Some are claiming that they need to come out and *join* pro LGBT groups
Others are saying its too little too late to try and win them over
But one thing is true
Its a fucking chicken shop wtf is wrong with everyone— Tim Pool (@Timcast) November 19, 2019
Wrote a piece on @ChickfilA. Here's hoping this is a sign of good things to come!https://t.co/SjHcHbGMOi
— AmberTheHuman (@amber_human) November 19, 2019
Thank you #ChickFilA for defunding hate. pic.twitter.com/Weghz31pCG
— Carl J. Petersen (@ChangeTheLAUSD) November 19, 2019
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