Chick-fil-A same-sex marriage controversy

The Chick-fil-A same-sex marriage controversy was a controversial topic focused around the American fast food restaurant Chick-fil-A following a series of public comments made in June 2012 by chief operating officer Dan T. Cathy opposing same-sex marriage.

This followed reports that Chick-fil-A's charitable endeavor, the S. Truett Cathy-operated WinShape Foundation, had donated millions of dollars to political organizations seen by LGBT activists as hostile to LGBT rights. Activists called for protests and boycotts, while other activists ate there in support of the restaurant. National political figures both for and against the actions spoke out and some business partners severed ties with the chain.

Chick-fil-A released a statement in July 2012 stating, "Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena." In March 2014, tax filings for 2012 showed the group stopped funding all but one organization which had been previously criticized.

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 striking down Proposition 8 in California (see Perry v. Brown). The PFI lobbied against a state effort to ban discrimination in Pennsylvania on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. 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."

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Wikipedia