Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Chicken Run

Chick-fil-A  gets out of the fryer.

Chick-Fil-A has reportedly stated it will no longer donate to anti-gay organizations or groups that actively oppose same-sex marriage. The $4 billion fast food chicken restaurant also reportedly has sent a company-wide memo stating the organization respects all people, including gay people, and supports equal treatment for all, according to a Chicago lawmaker, and local Chicago LGBT organization, who claim Chick-Fil-A will no longer funnel millions of dollars, via its Winshape Foundation, to anti-gay hate groups, like the Family Research Council, or anti-gay organizations like Focus On The Family.

That’s very nice of them.  But lest you think they’re doing it because they’ve suddenly decided that there’s nothing wrong with being gay and that their new jingle is being sung by the Village People, rest assured that it has nothing whatsoever to do with gay rights or marriage equality.  They have simply learned that having a political or social message as a part of your business plan carries risk and responsibility.  Some companies are willing to take the risk of supporting political or social causes, and they factor it in.  Chick-fil-A apparently did not.  (It may also be that some of the friends they made during the kerfuffle were not people they want to have over to dinner.)  Now they’ve decided that neutrality is the only way out of the mess they got themselves into.  And from now on, they’re going to keep their money to themselves.

6 barks and woofs on “Chicken Run

  1. I haven’t changed my mind – still not going to business with them. I also refuse to spend money at Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club. It’s a 75 mile drive to Costco for me. 🙂

  2. Somewhere, little Ricky Santorum stomped his feet and spit out his latest mouthful of secret sauce all over Truett Cathy.

  3. Meanwhile, while as a corporation Chik-Fil-A may be getting out of the partisan sponsorship business, chances are a lot of the franchisees, flush from their eat-mor-chikin-for-NOM days and having learned that hate sells, may well decide to try making up the gap. Up here in VA the local outlets were packed with righteous Xtian volk hungry for heteronuggets and buying food to beat Teh Ghey. Nationally, Chik-Fil-A may be done – but it’s time to watch the local outlets – and the volk who run them – for what they decide to do with this announcement.

  4. I’ve never cared for their food, so the decision doesn’t have an impact on me. That said, I was impressed with the local franchise in Roanoke, VA. Yes, there were lines of supportive folks outside the store. But, the owner crossed those lines to bring water to the protesters.

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