The proudly antigay fast food restaurant Chick-fil A is suffering from an identity crisis when it comes to its official stance on gay rights.
As you may remember, the fried chicken chain came under fire in 2012 after its CEO, Dan Cathy, said he was “guilty as charged” when it came to his company’s reported support of “traditional” understandings of family and the “Biblical family unit.”
Related: Chick-fil-A CEO Sorry For Talking About Marriage Equality, But Not For What He Said
But Cathy has been unable to reign in his franchises. A Chick-fil-A in Coralville, IA, announced that it will be providing 200 sandwiches and sides to Iowa City Pride’s annual picnic on June 19. Gratis.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Pride officials approached the franchise owner, Adam Donius, about getting involved after he sponsored a different event last year.
“We offered him different ways that he could contribute and be part of our Pride, help us build community,” Jewell Amos, chair of Iowa City Pride, told KCRG News. “He said that he totally believes in building community. So he was like, sure.”
And this isn’t the first time a franchise owner has taken a vastly different stance from Cathy. Last year, a Chick-fil-A in Hollywood, CA, hosted a fundraiser for LGBT youth. And in 2013, a Chick-fil-A in Rancho Cucamonga, CA donated food to a rally for marriage equality.
We have to say, until now the thought of Chick-fil-A sponsoring an official Pride event seemed about as likely as one the restaurant’s biggest supporters, Bryan Fischer, coming out as gay…
On second thought…
Related: Bryan Fischer Can’t Stop Talking About Guys Humping Other Guys
Patrick Sean
OMG.
Carlos Zuniga
Don’t eat that chicken!
Jerry Green
LOL! Too funny!
Giancarlo85
I don’t really care for the chain. Disgusting greasy chicken sandwiches that are grossly overrated. And they didn’t invent shit. Either way, great corporate message too… just as the “eat more kale” guy who got screwed over by a corrupt corporate structure at Chic-Fil-A who stole his idea. Chic-Crap-A then turned around and said he shouldn’t use it because it was too close to his, yet he was printing shirts since 2000.
http://time.com/3631523/eat-more-kale-slogan-chik-fil-a/
A real shitty company, and I don’t really care for what certain franchises do.
Ean Triston Nelson
Glad I don’t live Iowa!!
Jake Riley
But it’s so good
Mitch Sandusky
Margie William
Troy Geary
Nope
John Kuehnle
I stopped eating there over 3 years ago.
Daemon LaSera
WTF?
Kevin Crossman
Another reason NOT to go!!
David Harlem
Chicken queens?
J.W. Arnold
A lot of Chick-fil-a franchisees are very gay friendly and have gay employees.
Kevin Braddock
What the deuce ð??±
James Blakely
Chris James, you would like this. 😉
DarkZephyr
So they just opened a couple of franchises here in WA State and I called the franchise owner and I asked for her personal stance on same sex marriage and LGBT people and whether or not any of the money goes to Dan Cathy etc. She made it clear that this franchise was privately owned and that they are welcoming to absolutely everyone. I mean granted Chick fil a has never actually turned gay people away of course, they have always taken our money (even as they used it for anti-LGBT causes) but since this particular restaurant is privately owned, I can’t really see a reason not to try the food or to be outraged when other privately owned chick fil a’s cater LGBT pride events.
Tyler Hatch
Benjamin Chou
Paco
@DarkZephyr: I’m fairly certain that franchises pay a percentage of their revenue to the parent company. But, the more gay friendly franchises, that rather make a profit than support hate, could possibly change the views of the parent company.
Ken VanArsdale
Gross
Roger Rabbit
I was at the Rancho Cucamonga one. Gayest staff ever! LOL
Daveliam
I’m glad to hear that some of the franchises are outwardly accepting of the LGBT community. I used to eat at Chik-fil-A all the time about a 10-15 years ago when I lived in the Philly area. Now I live in NY, so there aren’t any really around. But they’re starting to pop up more and more. And the food is terrible for you, but so delicious. I’m going to have to look into the local franchises and see if they are as accepting as this one. If so, I’d be happy to, tentatively, give the company another chance.
Paco
@Paco: I just looked up how they do their franchising. They take 65% of profit and own basically everything. They also have a strict, values style vetting process for potential franchisees.
Still can’t support them.
Clark35
Oh well.
Kangol
Chic-Full-Of-It. GAG!
Xzamilio
Dudes with boobs
Gay for pay
Even dykes say “Yay”
So chowwwwww down at Chick-Fil-A-Hey
Ch-Ch-Chow-how down at Chick-Fil-A… even if you’re gay
(even if you’re gay)
Chow down at Chick-Fil-A
electrongreen
WHY WOULD ANY DECENT PERSON EAT THIS PRODUCT WHICH USES BATTERY FARMED CHICKEN WHERE THE POOR ANIMALS ARE KEPT IN VERY CRUEL CONDITIONS,THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL LET ALONE SERVED AT A PICNIC,
aliengod
This is a franchise. Dan Cathy doesn’t speak for anyone other than himself. Personally, I love Chick-Fil-A sandwiches (although moderately). The hype over Chick-Fil-A being “homophobic” is silly. I think you’d find that most of them are incredibly LGB supportive.
Izzy55
Proves a gay man will eat chicken at any cost.
Kevin Blazzard
Can Facebook please add an unlike already!!!
Giancarlo85
@electrongreen: Indeed. Chicfila is disgusting. They are profit driven and use the lowest quality chicken to price at premium prices.
@aliengod: Do you have any taste buds? Of course gay repuggers love chic-fil-a. Have fun indirectly supporting Focus on the family while you eat that chicken from inhumane sources. Silly? What the heck are you on? The business, mass majority wise, is antigay and makes big donations to antigay organizations. And what the heck is LGB? Stop making up acronyms.
Clark35
@electrongreen: If you don’t like how their chicken is battery farmed do something about it. Do you have a petition we can sign?
Cesar Fortun
Why complain?
Isn’t it good news?
Bobby French
Iowa Pride should be ashamed of giving them a penny.
Mike
I’d rather starve
sweetbrandigirl2004
Don’t eat Hate Chicken it might make you speak in tongues !
Giancarlo85
@Clark35: Typical Republican reply. Brainless and without any real thought.
Patrick Davis
ð??«ð??
Jerry Avila
Wouldn’t eat a single crumb of their food.
jwtraveler
It sounds like a marketing PR gimmick. Not that I care; I’ve been a vegetarian for 35 years.
Allie Pocket
Rick Holtz
Both parties are extremely hypocritical. And tasteless.
Greg Wood
Please don’t eat the chicken!!!!!ð??ð??ð??ð??ð??ð??ð??ð??ð??ð??ð??ð??ð??ð??
Valerie Anderson
What a joke!
Sluggo2007
There are gay people in Iowa? If so, why?
Atrius
That restaurant should be called “Chick-fil-sodium”.
Atrius
Sluggo,
Because we’re everywhere!
Cam
My problem is, the money that the franchise pays in to the main company goes right to the same people funding anti-gay activities. Last I checked Chiklis FIL Et still provided office space freely in their headquarters to an anti-gay group.
Ron Fowler
Businesses will soon come to realize that providing services to ALL doesn’t mean that you are supporting a particular belief, it means that you are a fair business person and that you want to STAY IN BUSINESS!
topshelf
I was crushed by the CEO’s statements back in 2012. I love Chick fil A and couldn’t believe that someone would be so patently stupid to publicly reject gay marriage and those who support it. Luckily, there were plenty of instructions online about how to make their chicken sandwiches at home. And I’ll admit, I do still eat the samples that they offer. Lots and lots of samples!
Greg Tew
Headline should be “Iowa City’s Pride…” There are at least four pride celebrations in the state of Iowa–Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and Cedar Falls.
OhHellNo
I would frankly boycott any Pride event that uses Chick-fil-Asshole products. Regardless of the franchisee that wants to “build community”, a large portion of the money that franchisee makes goes straight to the corporate till and gets distributed partly to campaign contributions to candidates who, like the company’s CEO, thinks gays should be sent to an island and gassed to death. That company should die a slow, painful death, or at least move to Iran where that religion-rules shit is the law.
Chris
The local franchise is donating its products to this event. So those costs go against whatever profits might go to the parent organization. And afterwards, people remain free to patronize anyone they wish. As I see it, it’s a win-win. Pride gets support; the local franchise shows its support for gay folk; and people are still free to eat or not to eat there.
David L. Sauter
I have never eaten there, even when one of their regional managers gave me a coupon for a free sandwich
Giancarlo85
@topshelf: You do realize their chicken sandwiches aren’t even that good? I don’t get why people like it so much. I guess grease is addicting.
Jimmy Lee
That’s no Pride picnic then, it’s a masochistic feeding frenzy. What self respecting gay person would eat the food from a company that has donated thousands to anti quality candidates and legislation? My gay money isn’t going to get funneled to people who would rather I go back in the closet, No M’am, No ham!! Or in this case No frickin’ chicken!!
chris451
@Sluggo2007:
As a gay person in Iowa, I can only ask this: What paradise do you live in?
Matthew Stewart
Alison Boyd
Lou Smith
Fail.
Marcus Armstrong
Who cares?
martinbakman
@Ean Triston Nelson: Ah ha! Good one.
But wasn’t Iowa the 3rd state to allow gay marriage? And Iowa City is supposed to be pretty cool.
Sluggo2007
@Atrius: Everywhere? Iowa is NOWHERE!
Sluggo2007
@chris451: New York City. Paradise enough for you?
judeiscariot
@DarkZephyr: Be cautious. Franchises are not the corporation, HOWEVER, the CFA franchise agreement is to give 50% of all profits to corporate. So, if you DO go to the local ones, 50% of the profits from you still go to the corporate offices.
Captain Obvious
I love laughing at people who cry over this. Just shows who knows what real discrimination is versus privileged whining in hopes of feeling “different”.
Guess what, suckers, literally everyone in the world who’s ever faced real oppression has had to pay their oppressors something to live.
Your massive Sophie’s Choice is whether or not to eat a damned chicken sandwich because ONE GUY is donating to a group that doesn’t support us. Wow so important. He really is the deciding factor in gay equality… sure.
I’ve never understand why the privileged want to play pretend and act like they have it bad. You sip your latte and continue whining on the internet about how badly you have it while others get shot dead in their vehicle by a police officer or beaten to death for living.
We don’t have it bad in America but others do and all the “gay community” can do is whine about little sh|t. Other countries are killing gays, we can run around crying about chicken sandwiches. I swear some of you make me wish I could be homophobic, I’d hate you too if I wasn’t stuck being one of you. Stop crying about chicken, Target, Walmart, etc. Focus on real issues like supporting gay teens and gay adults who might actually need help coming to terms. This vapid garbage really needs to stop. Not everyone is not going to support us, get over it.
Chic Fil A tastes good, makes healthier fast food than most chains, and doesn’t kill your wallet. Cry more.
Giancarlo85
@Captain Obvious: What Captain Total Bullshit back at it with his finest level of bullshit.
If one had any taste buds or standards, they wouldn’t eat that disgusting chicken sandwich.
Various pieces of bullshit in your post:
“Your massive Sophie’s Choice is whether or not to eat a damned chicken sandwich because ONE GUY is donating to a group that doesn’t support us. Wow so important. He really is the deciding factor in gay equality… sure.”
Wrong. The corporate level is making significant sums of donations to Focus on the Family and many other groups that advocate reparative therapy that is directing and psychologically damaging.
Bullshit piece number two:
“We don’t have it bad in America but others do and all the “gay community” can do is whine about little sh|t.”
Gay people are the subject of violence and random attacks in America at a far greater rates than other groups.
” I swear some of you make me wish I could be homophobic”
I think you’re just a dumb fool who is using the same sort of line the religious right uses… “Be happy with what you have… because others have it worse”. Oh that’s fucking great… we should just accept having half of our rights. This is a democratic country. This isn’t Uganda.
“Stop crying about chicken, Target, Walmart, etc. Focus on real issues like supporting gay teens and gay adults who might actually need help coming to terms. ”
Another bit of nonsense… first off Chic-Crap-Shit-Fila donates to anti-gay groups that hurt gay teens. Learn the facts please before you post more of your self centered garbage.
Chic-Fulla-Crap is garbage and does NOT make healthier food than most chains. And the prices are outrageous. Dumb bitch. They did remove anti-biotics so at least you won’t get cancer, but their food is loaded with saturated fat (even worse than Burger King’s chicken).
http://www.salon.com/2014/02/12/chick_fil_a_antibiotic_free_but_still_pretty_terrible/
Chick-Fil-A sandwiches uses TBHQ. A petroleum based preservative. A standard sandwich at the restaurant also boasts over 1,300 mg of sodium.
Giancarlo85
http://rebootedbody.com/chick-fil-a-healthy/
This guy is fair to Chick-Fil-A and rates them above subway. But he states some facts for your little mind, captain bullshit.
Those chicken sandwiches have added sugar and MSG. That’s why they taste good for you. It’s the MSG talking. MSG is a known chemical that potentially has cancerous side effects. It also contains Sodium Aluminum Phosphate and Potassium sorbate. Two chemicals that may be cancerous too.
Chick-Fil-A isn’t just chicken. They add tons of chemicals to that chicken. Those chemicals have strong addicting effects. And to make it real clear… Chick-Fil-A adds more chemicals to their chicken than McDonalds. Chick-Fil-A is NOT more healthy than McDonalds. If you’re a regular at Chick-Fil-A, you’ll probably end up with cancer in a couple of years.
Shit… even their milk shakes aren’t without a ton of chemicals. So many chemicals it makes a fucking klondike bar look healthy.
Giancarlo85
@Captain Obvious: Wait I get it. You love chick-fil-a and all the chemicals you shove into your disgusting mouth… because you think it’s more healthy. You think you’re dieting on Chick-Fil-A. But then again you’re the guy who said we should move to small towns to “make a change”. You’re so full of shit.
electrongreen
@Clark35:
Yes you need to go to the http://www.thepetitionsite.com/ and http://www.peta.org.uk/ we are signing them all the time.