Chick-Fil-A president Dan T. Cathy claims that the company’s goal is to “serve and value all people.” However, Chick-Fil-A has donated over a million dollars to Christian-based, anti-gay organizations.
With every Spartan dollar or meal exchange spent at our Chick-Fil-A on campus, students may be inadvertently sending money to companies such as the Ruth Institute, Focus on the Family, Exodus International, or the Pennsylvania Family Institute. All four are extremely anti-gay in the sense that they deliver anti-LGBT messages and work to diminish the rights of homosexuals, especially in regard to marriage rights. Exodus International’s whole goal, in fact, is to “help” homosexuals to “overcome those temptations of same-sex attractions and lead a life of sexual integrity,” while the other three institutes are dedicated to condemning homosexuals’ “impure lifestyle” and preserving the idea that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.
Chick-Fil-A’s donations go through the WinShape foundation, which is the “charitable arm” of the company created by the founder, S. Truett Cathy. An examination of WinShape’s public IRS 990 forms reveal the wide variety of anti-equality groups to which they donate. From 2003-2008, WinShape donated $1,142,450 to organizations that support anti-gay groups, such as the National Christian Foundation and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The National Christian Foundation works to “revive marriage in America” by giving grants to organizations that work to “save” marriage and keep it between a man and a woman. WinShape donated over $600,000 to the NCF between 2003 and 2008. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes, to which Chick-Fil-A donated almost $500,000 between 2003 and 2008, holds a national conference every year where, as Director Danny Burns said,
“God free[s] some people from homosexuality, sexual sins, addictions and even usher[s] newcomers into His Kingdom.” Furthermore, part of the application process to become a FCA Ministry Leader requires applicants to agree with their Sexual Purity Statement: “God desired His children to lead pure lives of holiness. The Bible is clear in teaching on sexual sin including…homosexual acts…[A]ny homosexual act [does not] constitute an alternate lifestyle acceptable to God.” The NCF and FCA are only two out of the many anti-equality organizations in which Chick-Fil-A has funded a good percentage of their profits.
It is known that the Southern Baptist owners of Chick-Fil-A close the restaurant on Sundays for religious reasons, but many students don’t know the extent to which religion influences the company’s decisions. “No, I had no idea that Chick-Fil-A donated to organizations like that. That’s not okay.,” says freshman Joey Pawlan. “That’s awful,” freshman Emma Simard comments, “I had no idea. I don’t think I want to eat there again. It’s not fair that we don’t know what we’re supporting when we buy food.”
Twelve out of the twelve college students I asked did not know about Chick-Fil-A’s donations. Rather than being upfront with its consumers, Chick-Fil-A has kept its anti-gay views relatively private by donating large amounts of money without publicizing it in any way. The donations were discovered only after close investigation of the company’s IRS forms. After uproar from angry consumers, Dan Cathy stated that the company “will not [continue to] champion any political agendas on marriage and family,” but that they would “continue to offer resources to strengthen marriages and families, [because] to do anything different would be inconsistent with [their] purpose and belief in Biblical principles.” In short, the Cathy is saying that the company will stop donating money to anti-gay organizations that are concerned with marriage equality, but he made it clear that the company is still, for all intents and purposes, anti-gay. WinShape, in fact, continues to offer marriage-counseling service to heterosexual couples only. Cathy did not state that the company would stop donating to all anti-gay organizations — just ones that specifically demote gay marriage. That still leaves a wide window open of organizations that discriminate against homosexuals to which they can donate, as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes is anti-LGBT focusing on the sin of homosexuality as opposed to the marriage issue.
Furthermore, Chick-Fil-A’s employment practices are hostile toward “sinful” candidates.
Potential franchise operators must disclose their martial status, number of dependents, and involvement in church. Employees may even be fired for engaging in “sinful” activities, and founder Truett Cathy says he prefers and aims to hire workers who are married, which rules out homosexuals in most states as they are not legally allowed to marry.
Currently, there is no way to prove whether or not Chick-Fil-A still donates to anti-gay organizations because their most recent IRS files are not yet available to the public. However, it is clear that the company continues to be intolerant of homosexuals.
In response to these discoveries, many college students have started protesting the restaurant. The students of Indiana University South Bend have even managed to ban Chick-Fil-A from their campus. At Florida Gulf Coast University, this task is still underway. Students have been petitioning against the Chick-Fil-A on their campus since January. Hopefully, as awareness spreads, the FGCU students working towards a hate-free campus will achieve their goal. Here at UT, I hope that students become aware of the situation. Part of our Spartan code, in fact, is to “discourage intolerance and acknowledge that diversity in our community shapes our learning and development.” Having a Chick-Fil-A on campus indirectly violates the Spartan code, because money spent there is going to organizations that are intolerant. UT students should follow the Spartan code and discourage intolerance by discouraging this company on campus that promotes intolerance with its donations. If any student feels that having a Chick-Fil-A on campus is detrimental to their feeling of safety and welcoming, then measures should be taken to get it banned.
Some students, though, such as freshman Ebonie Carter, refuse to give up their fried chicken, even after finding out and disapproving of where their money is going. “I wish I could quit you, Chick-Fil-A! I’m not strong enough.”
I understand that some people do not want to mix sentiment with their food, as one consumer posted on Chick-Fil-A’s Facebook page, “Keep the politics out of my chicken!” Dr. Scott Witherow, a Chemistry lab instructor here at UT, says, “I would never donate my money to the same organizations Chick-Fil-A has, but the owners of the company are entitled to do as they wish… I might not like how other company’s spend their money either, whether it be donating to organizations or supporting a political candidate I don’t agree with, [but] that doesn’t stop me from buying their product if I want it.”
Consumers obviously would not donate directly to organizations of which they disapprove, but by buying from a company that does donate to said organizations, they are, in a way, indirectly donating their money. It is not necessarily the responsibility of the consumer to figure out where their money is going after they buy a product, but once they are aware of who they’re giving money to, they should decide whether or not they want to continue to support that.
Unfortunately, if too many people ignore the indirect consequences of their purchases, things will not change. Sometimes, people need to do things that inconvenience them in order to stand up for what they believe is right.
As for me, I try to avoid supporting companies that promote anti-gay organizations in any way. Besides Chick-Fil-A, companies such as Urban Outfitters and Cracker Barrel have been exposed as having a history of donating to organizations that discriminate against homosexuals. There are many alternatives to spending money at any of these places. On campus, there are other places to get food that are hate-free (and healthier!), such as Fresh Creations or Pandini’s. I urge students to reflect on their values the next time they walk into Spartan Club with the intentions of getting food at Chick-Fil-A. Hopefully, with enough pressure from the public, Chick-Fil-A will soon be among the list of companies that have changed their anti-gay ways, such as RockStar Energy Drink and Bolthouse Farms.
If Chick-Fil-A’s intentions offend you or make you feel uncomfortable, speak up. We should all be working to spread awareness of the situation if we believe it is wrong. So far, most of the students I’ve spoken with have decided to cut back if not cease completely their consumption of Chick-Fil-A. Everyone deserves to know that an intolerant organization is on campus.
Even if I were not a vegetarian, the last thing you’ll see me eating is anything from such a bigoted place as Chick-Fil-A. Our campus should be a place where everyone feels accepted.
Annabella Palopoli can be reached at annabella.palopoli@spartans.ut.edu.
Oh hey JustJack, it doesn’t help your case when you criticize other people. JustJack, Jesus loves you! Homosexual or not, Jesus loves you, and because I love Jesus, I love you! I admire your boldness as well, even though I do not like your comment. The good thing is that Jesus Christ is not donating to anti-gay organizations. Sometimes people focus so hard on the followers of Jesus because they don’t want to have to deal with Jesus himself. People WILL fail you (Christian or NOT), but JESUS NEVER FAILS. Jesus loves you! I’ll say it for eternity!
John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Oh hey JustJack, it really doesn’t make your case any better by making fun of people. Jack, Jesus love you! Homosexual or not, Jesus loves you, and because I love Jesus, I love you! I like your boldness, even though I don’t your statement. The most important thing here is that Jesus isn’t sending money to any anti-gay organizations. Stop criticizing the followers, because they will fail you, get to know the leader JESUS, he NEVER fails.
John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Just because you serve and value people doesn’t mean you have to support them. A mother with a troubled child serves and values her child, but does not support the child’s ways. Just because Chick-Fil-A president Dan T. Cathy is against same sex marriage, doesn’t mean homosexuals have the right to come into his restaurant and display affection. If you want respect, show respect, right? UT, let’s be different. Other universities are protesting Chick-Fil-A, why should we? Do we want to remain unknown in a pool of schools, or go the opposite of the tide and stand out? Annabella Palopoli, you made a good point. You said that when you interviewed people, they had no clue about the donations. Have you checked where other restaurants are donating to, or are you bias toward Christian Companies? You are right when you say say that we should ALL feel accepted at UT. Consider the Christians, don’t make them feel unaccepted.
Let’s talk ECONOMY: Do you think shutting down another business because of their beliefs will help this economy?
Let’s talk AMERICAN HISTORY: Don’t you think that shutting down a business because of what (who) they believe in and support goes against everything America stands for?
A school is an institution that promotes and embraces equality. If any vendors operating services and making monetary profit on school campus, but promoting hateful or unequal practices, then the school administration should take action to stop this vendor to operate. Is this consider as a violation of Title IX Title of the Education Amendments of 1972 protects people from discrimination? YES!
The campus as a whole shouldn’t boycott the company. Individuals should be able to choose on their own whether or not they want to support the company or not. I like what someone else said about being accepting – what mindset does our college have if we don’t have any tolerance for other people’s beliefs? Chick-fil-A has the right to have values just as anyone else.
We should also note that Starbucks, Levi’s, Apple, Nike and Google all support gay organizations. (Just to name a few) I wouldn’t own an iPhone or iPad if it was free. Boycott these organizations!!
Chik-Fil-A is a christian organization, hence why they close on Sundays, so why should they have to give up THEIR beliefs? Its ridiculous how these days you can be gay but you can’t believe in religion. SOME PEOPLE DO NOT BELIEVE IN GAY MARRIAGE, get over it!
Believe what you want, but there’s a line between following the teachings of Christ and outright prejudice. Attempting to influence public policy and personal liberty via religious dogma would cross that line; not to mention it’s at odds with the company’s mission to “serve and value all people.” Catholic, Islamic, Jewish, whatever – it’s still boneheaded intolerance. Don’t pretend that being a member of the largest religion on the planet makes you a poor, oppressed minority.
You have every right to protest and decide whether or not you will eat their food. On the flip side of that, they have every right to donate to whatever cause they want to. Either way, it doesn’t mean they are wrong for doing it- it just doesn’t line up with your beliefs. Learn to respect other individuals religion, beliefs, culture, race- whatever. It doesn’t make them wrong, just different than you. Until we can learn to respect those who have different beliefs than us, we will forever live in a world with wars and corruption. Don’t eat their food- and they will respect that, I am sure.
I am sickened when I see news like this. We should accept everyone just the way they are. It’s so wrong that Chik-Fil-A supports and donates for anti-gay organizations. We should definitely protest against them in UT. Just tell me when and I’ll protest!!
I am a huge supporter of the LGBT community and when I heard about what the school in Indiana was doing, I not only applauded their actions but I stopped eating Chik-Fil-A. I LOVED their food but when it came down to it, I hated what they were doing with the money that I was giving them. It showed me just how strong my willpower was and it gave me a reason to not eat it. When I found out there was one on campus at UT I promised that I would never eat there, and I haven’t. I feel better knowing that I’m not eating that greasy food anyway, but I feel even better about the fact that I’m doing what I believe is right. Whether others agree, well that’s their choice to make and while I may not agree with it, I respect it. Everyone should be allowed to make their own decisions and if that means supporting an anti-LGBT company then so be it-nothing I say or do is going to change that.
This is ridiculous. If a company wants to support a cause they believe in, let them without making a big deal about it. I am glad to see a company support their causes. All of a sudden the gay agenda is the cool thing to support, when 10 years ago no one cared. Just because someone, whether an individual or company, doesn’t agree with your agenda, doesn’t mean they are evil and should be banned. This is a free country- let them exercise their freedoms. Liberals need to worry about more important things, and quit stomping on people’s rights to disagree with them. This country is going downhill fast.
Oh hey Susan, keep eating those tasty fried chicken batter sandwichs. Isn’t that grease the most delicious!!! I take extreme consolation that I, the poor homosexual facing god, will have the joy of watching your chins move in synchronization as you tell St. Peter to not let me in. Then I will party it up at Hell’s version of the White Party. ugh
Oh and Susan, practice what you preach girl. When those fat roll are popping out of your neck and bloated stomach I will be right there on hand. The homo plastic surgeon to suck it out of you for a few thousand bucks. ugh
Shame on you Lynn, Matt, and David, ignorant and hurtful comments, we do not live in the 1950’s. If you dislike the LGBT community so much you should start staying inside more often because we are openly everywhere.
Let’s phase out Chik-fil-a and replace with a healthier option. Cut the political BS, the company can do what they want. This has nothing to do with faith, but civil rights, see past it.
Question: If Chick-Fil-A was replaced by a restaurant that supported radical Islam, wouldn’t we be hearing these same Christian-haters screaming for tolerance and inclusion? Hmmm…guess that’s a one-way street, huh?
Boycott Chick-Fil-A. I refuse to support a company that does not support the human right to be marry/love/be with someone of the same gender. UT should too.
To Susan: Have you ever had your basic human rights stomped upon? I suspect not, otherwise you wouldn’t have said, “grow up”. Those anti-gay communities are frightfully ignorant. They think it’s a moral issue and all gays have to do is pray and be saved.. etc. etc. Ick.
To Dana and Lynn: When a person or an institution intends harm on another, i.e. denying basic rights, that person or institution has given up their own rights. What these organizations intend to do is to deny fellow humans the right to live in a harmonious manner with their loved ones, based on their humanness (i.e. race, color, creed, sexual orientation). In a word, it is prejudice. You think it’s okay to promote and perpetuate prejudice? You just want to stand by and do nothing, and let these organizations do this in the name of Christianity? Last time I checked, that kind of behavior is NOT Christian.
To all the gays at UT:
“If you can take a dick, you can take a chicken sandwich from Chik-fil-a”.
End of story =]
WHY U NO LIKE CHIK-FIL-A? YOU NO LIKE TASTEE CHIKEN?
Though UT is a liberal university, not everyone attending UT has the same liberal view points. I am big supporter of the homosexual community, but that is my choice. Personally, I will not deny another person or organization the right to defend their own beliefs. I may not support the organizations Chick-Fil-A supports, but that does not give just cause for boycotting their services. Think of it in a personal perspective, what if your employer fired you for supporting anti-homosexual causes? Chick-Fil-A is her to make your food because you want it, you are there to work for your employer because your employer wants you. If I can use my income to support what I wish, a business can use their income to support what they wish too. What someone supports and believes is not a reason to deny them their rights. Really in the end it is a personal option that should not be swayed by the majorities view points.
Im a christian that does not support gay marriage. Will I be protested and banned from ut also?
Chick-Fil-A’s intent to harm and limit the rights of the LGBT Community is sick and unethical . According to the companies recent tax documents they have funded 2 million dollars to groups working to “end the gross lifestyle of gays.”
Colleges across the nation should ban the franchise, which goes against the Liberal views of many institutions in today’s society.
Together we can stop these groups. Like my fan page to discuss this issue and all other issues to come!
Golf is a sport in which players compete about precision and ball sport. This involves different club types to hit balls to a series of holes using the fewest number of strokes. It’s one of the few games that won’t require standard playing arenas but instead uses the different courses which boast a unique design that changes the gaming experience.
Sounds like this article is very “anti-Christian”. I love it when people rant about being accepting and respectful of other’s views while they are clearly not doing it themselves.
Good for Chick-fil-A makes me want to support them. They have every right to support what group that reflect their values. What is the gay community the fearful of people who disagree with them? Grow up, that’s life. If you don’t like a company, then don’t support them. I for one will be more then willing to eat at their place. God Bless them, because in the end we will all face God. We all die, can not get around that one.
I don’t eat Chik-Fil-A anyway. It is unhealthy food. I protest its existence in the first place. I love the Bible thumpers. They use it as a scapegoat when they can’t follow JESUS’ principles. Do as Jesus tells you except when it’s too hard. Then find some place in the Bible that may allude to hateful, hurtful practices, and follow that. Geez.
“Our campus should be a place where everyone feels accepted.”
Unless you profess belief in Biblical principles…then, not so much.