People Are Still Mad At Chick-fil-A After They Announced They’ve Stopped Donating To Anti-LGBTQ Groups

    Madison Flager
    Photo credit: JIM WATSON - Getty Images

    From Delish

    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.

    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."

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