How Chick-Fil-A's Social-Media Bungle Fueled a Gay-Rights Backlash

Here's how Chick-Fil-A tried to make ntroversy over s support of anti-gay groups go away wh a Facebook-only prs to see backfire and e a massive viral backlash. * chick fil a gay scandal 2012 *

As ThkProgrs reported 2017, Chick-fil-A ntued to bankroll anti-gay groups like the Fellowship of Christian Athlet, the Salvatn Army, and the Pl Anrson Youth Home through s foundatn.

But the 2012 cint wasn’t the first time the Cathys were acced of homophobia. A year earlier, a Pennsylvania Chick-fil-A’s cisn to donate food to a marriage semar nducted by the Pennsylvania Fay Instute, a group known for s anti-gay advocy, prompted a natnwi boytt of the cha. Cathy issued a vio statement rponse to the boytt, which he claimed the pany “serv all people” and that, while he personally believ the “biblil fn of marriage, ” his pany don’t have an “anti-gay agenda.

CHICK-FIL-A THST BACK INTO SPOTLIGHT ON GAY RIGHTS

A Chigo alrman asked Chick-fil-A on Sunday to clarify what he says are nflictg statements on the pany’s gay marriage stance. * chick fil a gay scandal 2012 *

In 2011, the same year a Pennsylvania Chick-fil-A anchise donated food to a lol anti-gay anizatn, the LGBTQ advocy group Equaly Matters obtaed tax rerds which revealed that the Cathy fay had donated more than $1.

9 ln to anti-gay groups 2010 through the WShape Foundatn, the Cathy fay’s charable givg anizatn found by Tett Cathy 1984. 1 ln gift to the Marriage & Fay Foundatn, a group that promoted so-lled tradnal marriage and opposed both gay marriage and divorce; $480, 000 to the Fellowship of Christian Athlet, an athletic anizatn that requir applints to agree to a “sexual pury statement” that nmns LGBTQ people for livg “impure liftyle[s]”; and $1, 000 to Exod Internatnal, a group that promot anti-gay nversn therapy.

For Chick-fil-A’s opponents, the problem was bigger than Cathy’s anti-gay ments, was that he was apparently puttg his money where his mouth was, and he had a lot of money to go around. In a 2014 terview wh the Atlanta Journal-Constutn, Cathy admted he regretted gettg volved the gay marriage bate. Though Chick-fil-A never managed to fully shed s reputatn as a homophobic purveyor of lic chicken sandwich, ntued to expand s natnal prence, pecially above the Mason-Dixon le.

CHIGO OFFICIAL ASKS CHICK-FIL-A TO CLARIFY GAY MARRIAGE STANCE

* chick fil a gay scandal 2012 *

The Cathys’ “dissonant view, ” as one brand nsultant lled , may have fally hurt Chick-fil-A’s bottom le — pecially now that a popular, non-homophobic alternative to Chick-fil-A’s sandwich has emerged. Chick-fil-A fac gay marriage backlash. The Gay & Lbian Alliance Agast Defamatn (GLAAD), meanwhile, is promotg a Natnal Same-Sex Kiss Day to be held at Chick-fil-A rtrants across the untry on Augt 3.

Roughly 250 participants rried signs emblazoned wh rabows and msag of support for gay rights.

FACT-CHECKG THE FALLOUT OM THE CHICK-FIL-A GAY MARRIAGE NTROVERSY

The number of Amerins who say they have a close iend or fay member who is gay, meanwhile, has jumped om 49% 2010 to 60% today, the first time CNN pollg that a majory of Amerins have said that.

In the 1990s, most Amerins said they did not know anyone close to them who was gay. In 1998, a majory believed that someone who is homosexual uld change their sexual orientatn if they chose to do so.

Today, only a third feel that way, and the number who say that gays nnot change their orientatn is almost six 10. Chick-fil-A’s stance on gay marriage isn’t banng anyone om their rtrant or refg to serve them.

CHICK-FIL-A CEO CATHY: GAY MARRIAGE STILL WRONG, BUT I'LL SHUT UP ABOUT IT AND SELL CHICKEN

Protters om the Human Rights Campaign chant agast Chick-fil-A Print Dan Cathy's anti-gay marriage stance ont of a Chick-fil-A food tck Washgton, D.

But when s print, Dan Cathy, went public to fend his pany's stance agast gay marriage, he set off a nsirable ntroversy that has everyone om policians to puppets weighg .

GAY RIGHTS ACTIVISTS TO HOLD KISS PROTTS AT CHICK-FIL-A RTRANTS

The nnectn has long been clear to gay rights groups, which have tried to ll attentn to the lns of dollars Chick-fil-A, through s charable arm, has donated to opponents of same-sex marriage. Helms' tweet: "Chick-fil-A don't like gay people?

Hate to thk what they do to the gay chickens! " July 19, 2012 On the Chick-fil-A Facebook page, the pany posts a statement sayg 's stayg away om further discsn of the gay marriage bate. Meanwhile, gay and lbian groups have lled for same-sex upl to kiss at Chick-fil-A stor on "Natnal Same Sex Kiss Day" Aug.

CHICK-FIL-A OWNERS UGHT CROSSFIRE OVER GAY MARRIAGE

Support For Gay Rights But other pani see the risks of gog public on ntroversial issu differently. He explaed the ffee giant's pro-gay posns were about makg s employe proud — and aligng wh s rporate valu. The lure of dollars om a lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr market is another likely motivator for takg certa social stands.

Boytts And Bottom L Starbucks, Target and General Mills all stepped to the same-sex marriage issue by supportg gay marriage legislatn their home stat. It's no secret that fast-food cha Chick-Fil-A donat to anti-gay Christian chari -- the cha has been gettg flak om gay-rights groups for a while now on that.

Gay rights activists to hold kiss protts at Chick-fil-A rtrants | CNN

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CHICK-FIL-A GAY FLAP A 'WAKP CALL' FOR COMPANI