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In the summer of 2012, controversy arose over financial relationships between Chick-fil-A, an American fast-food chain, and religious/political organizations, part of whose work is to lobby against LGBT rights. Comments by the company's COO Dan Cathy, which were published after details of the company's donations to such organizations came to light, were met with varying reactions. LGBT rights activists called for protests and boycotts of the chain, counter-protestors rallied in support of the chain by eating at the restaurants, nationally-known political figures spoke out both for and against the chain, and partners with the chain severed business ties.

Earlier relationships between Chick-fil-A and anti-gay organizations

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In January 2011, the media reported that the American fast food restaurant chain Chick-fil-A was co-sponsoring a marriage conference along with the Pennsylvania Family Institute (PFI), an organization that had filed an amicus brief against the trial ruling striking down Proposition 8 in California (see Perry v. Brown).[1][2][3][4][5] PFI had also lobbied against a state effort to ban discrimination in Pennsylvania on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.[6] Responding on its official company Facebook page, Chick-fil-A said that support of the PFI retreat had come from a local franchisee, stating "We have determined that one of our independent Restaurant Operators in Pennsylvania was asked to provide sandwiches to two Art of Marriage video seminars."[7]

Another organization connected to Chick-fil-A through financial support, the WinShape Foundation,[8] was also quoted as stating it would not allow same-sex couples to participate in its marriage retreats.[9] Chick-fil-A gave over $8 million to the WinShape Foundation in 2010.[10] Between 2003 and 2009, the WinShape Foundation gave more than $2 million to groups such as Focus on the Family and Eagle Forum that are politically active in opposing same-sex marriage and other gay rights issues.[11][12][13]

These connections between Chick-fil-A and anti-gay political efforts have led students at several colleges and universities to form grassroots efforts to ban or remove the company's restaurants from their campuses. On November 3, 2011, the New York University Student Senators Council voted 19 to 4 to retain the Chick-fil-A franchise on campus. This vote came before a petition with over 11,000 signatures opposing its presence on campus was sent to the student council.[14] On February 28, 2012, the Northeastern University student Senate passed a resolution to cancel plans for a Chick-fil-A franchise on campus, stating that "the student body does not support bringing CFA [Chick-fil-A] to campus," and "Student concerns reflected CFA's history of donating to anti-gay organizations." The vote was 31 to 5, with 8 abstaining. The restaurant chain was finalizing a contract to bring it to NU when students protested.[15]

2012 statements by COO Dan Cathy and discovery of donations to anti-gay groups

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On June 16, while on Ken Coleman's syndicated radio talk show, The Ken Coleman Show, Chick-fil-A Chief operating officer (COO) Dan Cathy made what was seen as an inflammatory statement. Cathy stated: "I think we are inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, 'We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage'. I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about."[16][17][18]

On July 2, 2012, the LGBT watchdog group Equality Matters published a report with details of donations given by Chick-fil-A to organizations that are opposed to same-sex marriage, such as the Marriage & Family Foundation and the Family Research Council, the latter an anti-gay hate group identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center.[19][20][21][22]

Also, on July 2, Biblical Recorder published an interview with Dan Cathy, who was asked about opposition to his company's "support of the traditional family." He replied: "Well, guilty as charged."[23][24] Cathy continued:

"We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that. ... We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that," Cathy emphasized. "We intend to stay the course," he said. "We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles."[23]

Opposition

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In the wake of this interview, Thomas Menino, the Mayor of Boston, stated that he would not allow the company to open franchises in the city "unless they open up their policies.”[25] Menino subsequently wrote a letter to Dan Cathy, citing Cathy's earlier statement on The Ken Coleman Show and responding: "We are indeed full of pride for our support of same sex marriage and our work to expand freedom for all people."[26] In Chicago alderman Proco "Joe" Moreno announced his determination to block Chick-fil-A's bid to build a second store in the city: "They'd have to do a complete 180," Moreno said in outlining conditions under which he would retract the block. "They'd have to work with LGBT groups in terms of hiring, and there would have to be a public apology from [Cathy]."[27]

Moreno received backing from Chicago's Mayor, Rahm Emanuel: "Chick-fil-A values are not Chicago values," Emanuel said in a statement. "They disrespect our fellow neighbors and residents. This would be a bad investment, since it would be empty."[27] San Francisco soon followed suit on July 26 when mayor Edwin M. Lee tweeted, "Very disappointed #ChickFilA doesn't share San Francisco's values & strong commitment to equality for everyone." Lee followed that tweet with "Closest #ChickFilA to San Francisco is 40 miles away & I strongly recommend that they not try to come any closer."[28]

The proposed bans in Boston and Chicago drew criticism from liberal pundits, legal experts and the American Civil Liberties Union. Kevin Drum of Mother Jones magazine said "[T]here's really no excuse for Emanuel's and Menino's actions... you don't hand out business licenses based on whether you agree with the political views of the executives. Not in America, anyway."[29] UCLA law professor and blogger Eugene Volokh observed, "[D]enying a private business permits because of such speech by its owner is a blatant First Amendment violation."[30] Echoing those views were Glenn Greenwald of Salon, professor John Turley of George Washington University, and Adam Schwartz, a senior attorney with the ACLU.[31]

In response to the July 2 interview, the Jim Henson Company, which had entered its Pajanimals in a kids' meal toy licensing arrangement in 2011, said that it would cease its business relationship with Chick-fil-A, and donate payment for the brand to Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).[20][32][33][34] Citing safety concerns, Chick-fil-A stopped distributing the toys.[35] A spokeswoman stated the decision had been made July 19 and was unrelated to the controversy.[36]

Support

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In response to the controversy, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee initiated a Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day movement to counter a boycott of Chick-fil-A launched by gay marriage activists.[37][38][39] More than 600,000 people RSVPed on Facebook for Huckabee's appreciation event.[40]

On August 1, Chick-fil-A restaurants experienced a large show of public support with the company reporting record-breaking sales.[41][42][43]

References

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  1. ^ January 31, 2011. "Chick-fil-A defends its values". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved July 29, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "If you're currently eating a Chick-fil-A... — Good As You:: Gay and Lesbian Activism With a Sense of Humor". Good As You. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  3. ^ duy (2011-01-04). "Metro Weekly". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  4. ^ "Pennsylvania Family Institute Mission Statement". Pafamily.org. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  5. ^ Ocamb, Karen (September 26, 2010). "Evaluating the amicus brief avalanche of anti-gay opposition to the Prop 8 trial decision". Prop8TrialTracker.Com. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  6. ^ Scolforo, Mark (December 23, 2010). "Without state law, Pa. towns tackle anti-gay bias". Delaware County Daily Times. Associated Press.
  7. ^ "Chick-fil-A Facebook Page". Facebook. January 6, 2011. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  8. ^ McWhirter, Cameron (July 27, 2012). "Chick-fil-A's Long Christian Heritage". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  9. ^ Jones, Michael (January 26, 2011). "Yes, Chick-fil-A Says, We Explicitly Do Not Like Same-Sex Couples". Change.Org. Retrieved December 2, 2011.[unreliable source?]
  10. ^ "Form 990-PF: Return of Private Foundation" (pdf). WinShape Foundation, Inc. Guidestar. 2010.
  11. ^ Devaney, Tim; Stein, Tom (November 8, 2011). "Chick-fil-A Increases Donations to Anti-Gay Groups". AllBusiness.com.
  12. ^ Winters, Rosemary (November 10, 2011). "Sugar House protesters say Chick-fil-A is anti-gay". The Salt Lake Tribune.
  13. ^ Michelson, Noah (November 1, 2011). "Chick-Fil-A Fast Food Chain Donated Nearly $2 Million To Anti-Gay Groups In 2009". The Huffington Post.
  14. ^ "NYU Decided To Keep "Homophobic" Chick-fil-A Long Before Petition Launched".
  15. ^ Rocheleau, Matt (February 28, 2012). "Northeastern cancels Chick-fil-A plans after student group denounces chain". Boston Globe. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  16. ^ Starnes, Todd (July 25, 2012). "Rahm: "Chick-fil-A Values Are Not Chicago Values"". Fox News Radio. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  17. ^ Collier, Myles (July 18, 2012). "Chick-fil-A President Says 'God's Judgment' Coming Because of Same-Sex Marriage". The Christian Post. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  18. ^ "What Dan Cathy said". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. July 26, 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  19. ^ Chick-fil-A Anti-Gay Controversy: Gay Employees Speak Out
  20. ^ a b Ward, Alex (July 23, 2012). "The Muppets cut ties with Chick-Fil-A restaurant after president's anti-gay marriage comments". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  21. ^ "Chick-Fil-A Donated Nearly $2 Million To Anti-Gay Groups In 2010". Equality Matters. July 2, 2012.
  22. ^ Boucly, Chris (July 24, 2012). "Gay youths plan protest against Chick-fil-A". The Orange County Register. Retrieved July 26, 2012. $3.84 million was contributed primarily to Christian organizations such as Marriage and Family Foundation, which received $1.18 million, and Family Research Council, which received $1,000. The Family Research Council "believes that homosexual conduct is harmful to the persons who engage in it and to society at large," according to its Web site. The Marriage and Family Foundation, whose chairman is Chick-fil-A senior vice president Donald M. "Bubba" Cathy, gave grants totaling $639,000 to six organizations that support strong traditional marriages and families.
  23. ^ a b Blume, K. Allan (2 July 2012). "'Guilty as charged,' Dan Cathy says of Chick-fil-A's stand on faith". Biblical Recorder. Cary, NC. North Carolina Baptist State Convention. Retrieved 22 July 2012. as an organization we can operate on biblical principles.
  24. ^ Hsu, Tiffany (July 18, 2012). "Is Chick-fil-A anti-gay marriage? 'Guilty as charged,' leader says". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  25. ^ Turner, Greg (July 20, 2012). "Mayor Menino on Chick-fil-A: Stuff it". The Boston Herald. Retrieved July 21, 2012. Chick-fil-A doesn't belong in Boston. You can't have a business in the city of Boston that discriminates against a population. We're an open city, we're a city that's at the forefront of inclusion... That's the Freedom Trail. That's where it all started right here. And we're not going to have a company, Chick-fil-A or whatever the hell the name is, on our Freedom Trail.
  26. ^ "Mayor's letter to Chick-fil-A". The Boston Herald. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  27. ^ a b Dardick, Hal (July 25, 2012). "Alderman to Chick-fil-A: No deal". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  28. ^ Lopez, Ricardo (July 26, 2012). "San Francisco is the third city to tell Chick-fil-A: Keep out". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  29. ^ Drum, Kevin (July 26, 2012). "Rahm Emanuel Needs to Back Off on Chick-fil-A". Mother Jones. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  30. ^ McClelland, Edward (July 26, 2012). "Conservatives and Liberals Defend Chick-fil-A". Ward Room. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  31. ^ Miller, Joshua Rhett (July 26, 2012). "Legal eagles cry fowl over politicians' plans to block Chick-fil-A". Fox News. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  32. ^ Rose, Annie (July 25, 2012). "Chick-fil-A Backlash: Politicians, Muppets Respond". ABC News Video. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  33. ^ Lendon, Brad (July 24, 2012). "Henson, Huckabee take sides in Chick-fil-A same-sex marriage controversy". CNN.com. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  34. ^ Hsu, Tiffany (28 July 2012). "Chick-fil-A's PR chief dies suddenly amid gay-marriage imbroglio". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  35. ^ "Chick-fil-A Contact Us". Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  36. ^ Curtis Wong. Chick-Fil-A Recalling Jim Henson Kids' Meal Toys As Partnership Severed Over Anti-Gay Donations. The Huffington Post, 07/24/2012
  37. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/chick-fil-supporters-gather-appreciation-day/story?id=16904664#.UBnyts3Nmw8
  38. ^ http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-chick-fil-a-day-20120802,0,1647505.story
  39. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/us-news-blog/2012/aug/01/chick-fil-a-appreciation-day
  40. ^ http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-chick-fil-a-day-20120802,0,1647505.story
  41. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/chick-fil-supporters-gather-appreciation-day/story?id=16904664#.UBnyts3Nmw8
  42. ^ http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-chick-fil-a-day-20120802,0,1647505.story
  43. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/us-news-blog/2012/aug/01/chick-fil-a-appreciation-day

Category:Chick-fil-A Category:Opposition to same-sex marriage

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