Chick-fil-A Foundation says anti-LGBTQ giving is part of its 'higher calling'

[babylonsister]

Chick-fil-A Foundation says anti-LGBTQ giving is part of its ‘higher calling’
The fast food company's charitable arm makes clear it does not care about stopping anti-LGBTQ discrimination.
Josh Israel
May 16, 2019, 8:39 am


The head of Chick-fil-A’s tax-exempt foundation addressed the growing backlash against its continued giving to anti-LGBTQ organizations on Wednesday, telling Business Insider that it does not intend to change its ways. He dismissed concerns about the Chick-fil-A Foundation giving millions to organizations that discriminate as an unimportant “political or cultural war that’s being waged.”

ThinkProgress reported in March that the Chick-fil-A Foundation distributed $1.8 million in 2017 to non-profits with a history of anti-LGBTQ discrimination — contrary to repeated promises that it was winding down its giving to groups that discriminate. This included more than $1.6 million in contributions to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a religious group that works to spread an anti-LGBTQ message to college athletes, requiring a strict “sexual purity” policy for its employees that bars any “homosexual acts.”

In the weeks since the report, the company has faced a backlash. At least two airports have canceled plans to include a Chick-fil-A location in their vending agreements, and higher education students and faculty have pushed to remove Chick-fil-A from their campuses. The city council in San Jose, California, voted 11 to 0 last month to hang rainbow flags and blue-and-white transgender rights flags near the company’s location in the San Jose International Airport.

But Rodney Bullard, Chick-fil-A’s vice president of corporate social responsibility and the executive director of the Chick-fil-A Foundation, isn’t backing down. In an interview with Business Insider, he suggested that because the donations were aimed at helping children, it does not matter whether the recipients are practicing or promoting discrimination.

“The calling for us is to ensure that we are relevant and impactful in the community, and that we’re helping children and that we’re helping them to be everything that they can be,” he told the outlet.

“For us, that’s a much higher calling than any political or cultural war that’s being waged. This is really about an authentic problem that is on the ground, that is present and ever present in the lives of many children who can’t help themselves,” he continued.

more...

https://thinkprogress.org/chick-fil-a-foundation-anti-lgbtq-giving-part-of-higher-calling-ed7076fadafd/

[zipplewrath]

1. do any DU'ers patronize this store?

I just presume that people who frequent this site, wouldn't be interested in being a customer of Chick-fil-A.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

3. You couldn't pay me to eat there. I was so pissed when one opened

In my town (I live in one of the most liberal counties in the U.S.).

[RT Atlanta]

5. I have up until fairly recently

It's a hard habit to break for me because I do like their sandwiches, but finally said enough. The Cathy family has a long history of anti-LGBTQ and it's part of 'walking the walk' as my children and I have decided - we're through with that place.

[bullwinkle428]

11. There is a location within walking distance of my house, and I've

never even thought of setting foot in the place, knowing what I do about their philosophy.

[samnsara]

12. ...add Hobby Lobby to your list of wondering if DUers shop there...

...that one can be a hard habit to break..but its one i never shopped at anyway. When one opened up near my home I went there once. It was full of religious Styrofoam doo dads.. NOTHING to help me with my hobby....but also closed on Sunday. My big shopping day. Stuck with Craft Warehouse ( love those stores..well those that are still open)....

[zipplewrath]

16. yup

Had to find new places to get cheap picture frames. But I found them.

[yellowdogintexas]

28. I do not like Hobby Lobby and it has nothing to do with their stupid political stuff

My daughter's first part time job was there and when she was hired she told them she would work any time they wanted her to EXCEPT Thursdays after 4, so she could go to her ballet class for adults.

Well guess what time she was scheduled to work every damn week? Thursday from 4:30 to closing. After weeks of switching her schedule she finally quit. The asst. manager was evidently a slow learner or else he just wanted to mess with her because she was young and fiesty.

I was never a fan of all the Christian "decorating" gear. I will admit to one productive shopping trip specifically for some accessorizing needed for a church musical, but that was an exception. I am leery of folks who hang large groups of crosses in their home or wear cross jewelry anyway. I once had a hilarious conversation with one of our ministers about the jewelry we would wear and decor we would be seeing if the Romans had favored the guillotine or hanging for their executions. Can't you see people running around with jeweled guillotines lying on their chests.

Michael's is my "go to" for my crafting needs with occasional side trips to JoAnne's Both of them have great baking supplies and lots of yarn. (Michael's has great sales & coupons too)

[Tikki]

19. The Tikki family says...Never been, never will.

Chicken is one of the easiest and tasty and least expensive meats to prepare at home.


Tikki

[yellowdogintexas]

30. Absolutely! I picked up a 12 pack of Chicken Breasts at Costco

earlier this week. I love those because two breasts are in each section, and the sections are sealed off from one another. Cut them apart and stick them in the freezer anywhere they will fit.

These are huge chicken breasts and I often cut them in half longways and I still have 4 nice sized pieces of chicken breast. We eat a lot of grilled chicken around here. They are thick enough to roast in the oven too.

We also keep a supply of Kirkland canned chicken breast, which is very useful for soup, chicken salad, chicken enchiladas and other items calling for shredded cooked chicken. They were on sale for $2.00 off a 6 pack the other day. I bought 3!

I make a zero point (WW) soup with the canned chicken; 1 can each chicken, chicken broth, Ro-Tel, and drained black beans. I add chili powder and cumin, and when it has simmered for a few minutes, add a good handful of frozen corn. It is so good and so satisfying!!! Serves 4

[Tikki]

36. Exactly what we do...Costco and all.

Yummy, healthy and not hate-filled.

The Tikkis

[Left-over]

25. Would not eat there on a bet.

[Aristus]

27. Fuck no!

Never. And I'm straight. I won't give my money to those creeps.

[geardaddy]

31. I've never patronized them and never will. n/t

[sdfernando]

32. I've never set foot in any of their restaurants....

I've heard that their food is really mediocre at best.

[Bonx]

34. I see the long lines and go elsewhere

[Initech]

35. It's literally the last place I would consider for lunch.

There's much better places I can get chicken sandwiches if I'm in the mood. Although I do miss my local Schlotzsky's for that.

[customerserviceguy]

38. I do

I get great service and good food, for fast food.

I agree with Pete Buttigieg, who said, "I do not approve' of Chick-fil-A's politics, but I kind of approve of their chicken." He knows that many people appreciate the experience that Chick-fil-A gives over the standard fast-food situation, and like their sandwiches, and that their customers have votes that matter, too.

As for the company donating to athletic groups, I don't see the problem there. Sure, some of the groups have language in their founding documents that are anti-gay, but do they really practice that in their everyday operation? Young people, even Christian ones, know gay people, and when they can take over the organization, they'll remove the language that their less tolerant grandparents put in there.

Also, Dan Cathy is dead, and we won the battle on equal marriage. Pete had those things in mind when he said what he said about them.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

2. Panera here I come!

[Funtatlaguy]

4. Please pass this along to people who still go there.

[Solly Mack]

6. "higher calling"

Is that what they're calling hate and ignorance these days?

[SWBTATTReg]

37. I agree w/ you. I wondered who in the world at Hobby L or Chick heard the so called higher ...

'calling'? Perhaps maybe one day, they'll listen to their neighbors and such around their own stores and hear the higher calling of not being bigoted and such to their own neighbors?

[smirkymonkey]

41. Yeah, nice euphemism.

Bigoted jerks!

[dewsgirl]

7. I love their Polynesian sauce so much, but have stayed away for about two years. Once I

found out he was a Trump humper, that was it. This one has been harder, I have always hated Papa Johns.

[samnsara]

13. we need to deconstruct that sauce somehow and get the recipe out into the public...

[WhiskeyWulf]

15. There are bunches of copycat recipes online.

I've never had it or tried to make one of the recipes that are available, so I have no idea how close they are to the original, but this one got good reader reviews:

https://www.stockpilingmoms.com/copycat-chick-fil-a-polynesian-sauce/

[LonePirate]

8. My higher calling is never spending a penny on their food.

[Sherman A1]

9. They opened one recently nearby to me

It seems to be part of the "We must have every chicken fast food place that exists" movement. In addition to their "Higher Calling" they used non union labor to build it and I know I have no need to visit their store or any of the other fast food places recently arrived on the scene here. I much prefer the local hometown owned eateries.

[yellowdogintexas]

24. LOL do you live in Southwest Fort Worth, by any chance/

within about 2 miles, beginning with a cafe in a gas station, there are 14 places where one can purchase fried chicken, Grocery deli, general fast food locations, stand alone chicken places.

When Popeye's built a new location and their old place went up for lease/sale, guess what moved in? Church's of course. I called my daughter in AZ just to tell her this. She just howled with laughter! We refer to the major intersection as "Chicken Corner".

If I am going to bust my daily points on fried chicken it is going to be Popeye's, extra spicy. If I don't want the spice then it is Chicken Express. I have a major weakness for good fried chicken so that drive is very treacherous for me if I am very hungry. I could eat it every day.

[Sherman A1]

40. No, North St. Louis County

Not too far from a place called Ferguson in fact. I was in Lowes in February nearby and talking with another retired guy as we inspected the deals after then announced the store would be closing. We discussed the number of retail stores that had or soon would be shuttered and he remarked that it was sad, but sarcastically said "Gee, We have every chicken place on the planet" nearby so he guesses that all the store employees being laid off will be able to pick up jobs selling chicken.

When I pick up fried chicken for dinner it is from Lee's as I find it more to my liking and they have been around here for a long time.

[samnsara]

10. i dont get the charm of this company. My dtrs family lived in Tenneesee for 10 years so I ...

...visited Tenn a lot. And there are lots of Chick fil a's there. The kids were little then and they liked the playground inside... and the chicken was good. But going there was a crap shoot. For instance once we wanted to grab some chicken after a hot n heavy day of (kid-less) WALMARTIAN shopping and wow.....LUCKY US....it was Dora The Explorer Day at Chick fil a! That placed was filled with dressed up kids and dressed up characters and all the sweet sugary soda and sweet tea (even stickier) all over the floor and the tables. My dtr said 'Oh lets just go in'. I stood at the door and looked in and said HELL NO!! I never went back.


There's just as good chicken at other places.

Im surprised Seattle is welcoming them. Maybe Dicks will come up with a Dicks Fil a!

[C_U_L8R]

14. The rotten taste of hate

that deepfried shit will ruin your health.

[Thekaspervote]

17. Thx for posting.. everyone needs to beware and boycott their crappy shit

[Phoenix61]

18. I'd starve first.

Don’t go there or Hobby Lobby.

[keithbvadu2]

20. Have they donated any millions to fight priest/minister pedophiles?

Have they donated any millions to fight priest/minister pedophiles?

[mac56]

21. Worth a view

[B Stieg]

22. Have never eaten there...

and never will!

[yellowdogintexas]

23. Have not crossed their property lines in at least 12 years.

I have found due to sample handouts that I don't even like their chicken. Too salty.

When my normally (at the time) apathetic daughter told me about the LGBT actions I said "No Mas"

I loved their lemonade when I was pregnant 34 years ago though. Now I go to places which make lemon shakeups.

[George II]

26. Our first in the area opened a few months ago three miles from here, will NEVER go there.

[DemoTex]

29. We blocked a CFA from locating in my neighborhood ..

The arrogant bastards sent some high-powered lawyers from Atlanta to the zoning hearings. The Chick-Fil-A lawyers acted like their location approval was already a done deal.
However, the local franchise owner, who had an existing CFA across town, had a sign at that facility that touted how many cars had come through the drive-thru every day (185 cars served on Monday!). We had photos of those signs, and the zoning commission agreed with us that a Chick-Fil-A on already clogged Augusta Street would have a significant negative impact on traffic.
I hope I never have to deal with those people again.

[beastie boy]

33. These are the same bigots who bitch about the Saudis funding THEIR anti-Christian "higher calling"

And there is no getting through to them trying to explain that there is no distinction between the two.

[Paladin]

39. I'll tell you what's NOT part of their "higher calling":

Preparing food that's fit to eat. It's a pleasure to maintain my ongoing boycott, for more reasons than one.