Chick-Fil-A has pledged to stop funding
groups opposed to gay rights, according to advocacy group The Civil
Rights Agenda (TCRA).
The move comes 2 months after
Chick-Fil-A President Dan Cathy conceded that his company supports
groups which oppose gay marriage, support therapies aimed at “curing”
gay people, and advocate for the criminalization of gay
relationships.
The fast-food chain donated $3 million
to such groups, including the Family Research Council (FRC) and
Exodus International, between 2003 and 2009. In 2010, the company
gave more than $1.9 million, more than in any other year for which
public records are available, to anti-gay groups through its
political arm The WinShape Foundation, according to Equality
Matters.
Several U.S. mayors and Chicago
Alderman Proco “Joe” Moreno criticized Cathy for saying that gay
marriage is “inviting God's judgment on our nation.” Moreno came
out against a planned restaurant in his ward.
“The WinShape Foundation is now
taking a much closer look at the organizations it considers helping,
and in that process will remain true to its stated philosophy of not
supporting organizations with political agendas,” a letter
addressed to Moreno states.
The company also pledged to include a
statement of respect for all sexual orientations in an internal memo
titled “Chick-Fil-A: Who We Are.” The document will state the
company's commitment to “treat every person with honor, dignity and
respect – regardless of their beliefs, race, creed, sexual
orientation or gender,” Moreno said.
Chick-Fil-A, however, has made similar
pledges in the past, including as recently as July on its Facebook
page.
Moreno said he scored a “big win”
and is no longer opposed to a restaurant opening in his ward.
“It's one thing to say that's the way
you feel – it's another thing to put it into a company policy and
an official company statement,” he said.
The
Chicago Tribune reported that Chick-Fil-A did not respond to
repeated requests to confirm Moreno's assertions.
Anthony Martinez, executive director of
The Civil Rights Agenda, describe the company's moves as “a step
forward.”
“We would still like to see
Chick-Fil-A adopt … [an] anti-discrimination policy that
specifically states they won't discriminate based on sexual
orientation or gender identity,” Martinez
said.