First, Chick-fil-A was the target of a boycott by the gay community for allegedly funding anti-gay efforts through its WinShape Foundation. Now, some evangelicals claim the chicken chain is too gay friendly.
The crime this time? A Utah franchise publicly congratulated a same-sex couple on Facebook. And then the company’s corporate headquarters defended the post rather than distancing itself from it.
A Chick-fil-A franchise in Orem, Utah, posted a photo of two young men — Dougie and Toby — outside the store and congratulated them on their marriage. Dougie reportedly is a team trainer at Chick-fil-A.
One critic wrote to corporate headquarters in Atlanta to complain and received this response: “Chick-fil-A embraces all people, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Chick-fil-A Inc. is committed to being Better at Together by embedding Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in everything we do. We strive to provide a welcoming and inclusive place for everyone. We do this by focusing on Chick-fil-A’s four Corporate Social Responsibility pillars: Caring for People, Caring for our Communities, Caring for Others through our Food, and Caring for our Planet.”
The company once accused of being too conservative suddenly appeared in a different light.
Chick-fil-A was founded by a Southern Baptist layman, Truett Cathy. The company has grown from a Southern mainstay to a national favorite brand. Its stores are franchised and are known for their politer workers who always respond to positive customer comments by saying, “My pleasure.”
For years, Chick-fil-A’s charitable foundation — WinShape — gave millions of dollars to groups like the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Salvation Army, which were criticized for anti-LGBTQ stances or policies. Then in 2012, then-President Dan Cathy publicly said the company supports “the biblical definition of the family unit.”
Together, this sparked a national boycott — largely unsuccessful — by pro-LGBTQ forces who refused to fund a business that gives money to such groups.
In 2019, Chick-fil-A announced it would stop funding organizations with anti-LGBTQ agendas, focusing instead on hunger, education and homelessness. Among some in the gay community, that was too little too late and the bad feelings remained.
Conservative Christians largely have loved and supported Chick-fil-A and have seen it as a safe place for their own children to get their first jobs. Each store is independently owned, however, and the culture inside the store can vary from place to place depending on the influence of the franchisee.
Chick-fil-A has more than 3,100 locations nationwide and recorded $22 billion in systemwide sales for 2024. Some high-performing stores are reported to bring in as much as $19 million annually in sales.
Related articles:
Why I’m an LGBTQ ally who won’t boycott Chick-fil-A | Opinion by Mark Wingfield
As a progressive pastor, I take my stands. Boycotting Chick-fil-A isn’t one of them | Opinion by Russ Dean