Resolution 2019-30836 RESOLUTION NO. 2019-30836
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, URGING MIAMI-DADE
COUNTY TO RESCIND THE LEASE ALLOWING OPERATION
OF A FAST-FOOD CHAIN RESTAURANT, CHICK-FIL-A, AT
THE MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, DUE TO CHICK-FIL-
A'S ON-GOING FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF ANTI-LGBTQ
CAUSES, AND FURTHER URGING MIAMI-DADE COUNTY TO
DEVELOP A PROCEDURE TO SCREEN PROSPECTIVE
BUSINESSES WISHING TO DO BUSINESS ON THE COUNTY'S
PUBLICLY-FUNDED PROPERTY FOR HISTORY OF
DISCRIMINATORY BEHAVIOR AND FOR COMPLIANCE WITH
THE MIAMI DADE COUNTY HUMAN RIGHTS ORDINANCE.
WHEREAS, the City of Miami Beach (the "City") has learned that Miami-Dade County
(the "County") has entered into a lease to allow "Chick-fil-A," a fast-food restaurant chain, to
operate a restaurant in the Miami International Airport; and
WHEREAS, in 2012, Chick-fil-A became nationally known for its exclusionary views on
the LGBTQ community and gay marriage, when its tax filings revealed donations to
organizations and groups that are known for being vehemently anti-LGBTQ; including Focus on
the Family and the Family Research Council – the latter being dubbed as an anti-LGBTQ hate
group by the Southern Poverty Law Center; and
WHEREAS, following national backlash, Chick-fil-A announced that it would stay out of
the debate on LGBTQ rights and treat every person with honor, dignity and respect —
regardless of their beliefs, race, creed, sexual orientation and gender; and
WHEREAS, however, most recent available tax filings for Chick-fil-A's tax-exempt
foundation revealed that in 2017 alone, the company has donated over 1.8 million dollars to
anti-LGBTQ organizations, such as the Paul Anderson Youth Home, the Salvation Army, and
the Fellowship of Christian Athletes; and
WHEREAS, Chick-fil-A is also one of the largest national companies without a written
non-discrimination policy for LGBTQ employees, and has earned a 0 on the Human Rights
Commission's Corporate Equality Index for failing to protect their LGBTQ employees from
discrimination in the workplace; and
WHEREAS, as such, Chick-fil-a's anti-LGBTQ stance has inspired a wide range of
boycotts throughout the United States, ranging from schools, universities, businesses, and
cities; and
WHEREAS, in March 2019, the City of San Antonio, banned Chick-fil-A from becoming a
concessionaire at the city-operated international airport; and
WHEREAS, in March 2019, the Buffalo Niagara International Airport also reneged on
plans to open a franchise due to protests against Chick-fil-A from the Western New York
community and politicians; and
WHEREAS, the City of Miami Beach has a long history of protecting and promoting the
rights of LGBTQ individuals and has long refused to contract with businesses that support
discrimination against the LGBTQ community; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County has a strong interest in disassociating itself from the
discriminatory practices of businesses that have donated to anti-LGBTQ causes, as doing
business with such companies is inconsistent with both, the County's Human Rights Ordinance
and principles of equality that it strives to promote; and
WHEREAS, the views of Chick-fil-A do not represent the City or the County, and
businesses that have demonstrated history of anti-LGBTQ behavior have no place operating in
taxpayer-funded public facilities; and
WHEREAS, thus, the City of Miami Beach urges Miami-Dade County to rescind the
lease for the Chick-fil-A restaurant, as a publicly funded facility like the Miami International
Airport is not the appropriate venue for a business like Chick-fil-A; and
WHEREAS, moreover, the City of Miami Beach further urges Miami-Dade County to
develop a procedure to screen prospective businesses wishing to do business in the County's
publicly funded facilities for history of discriminatory behavior, including behavior that
perpetuates unequal treatment of the LGBTQ community, and for compliance with the
provisions of Miami-Dade County Human Rights Ordinance; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City
Commission hereby urge Miami-Dade County to rescind the lease allowing operation of a fast-
food chain restaurant, Chick-fil-A, at the Miami International Airport, due to Chick-fil-A's on-
going financial support of anti-LGBTQ causes, and further urging Miami-Dade County to
develop a procedure to screen prospective businesses wishing to do business on the County's
publicly-funded property for history of discriminatory behavior, and for compliance with the
Miami-Dade County Human Rights Ordinance.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 22nd day of May, 2019.
ATTEST: .......
'''
1:.„‘ ': Dan Gelber, Mayor
I .ATED;
/zs.•/5
Rafael E. Granado, Ci y Clerk . .2�".
APPROVED AS TO
(Sponsored by Commissioner Michael Gongora) FORM & LANGUAGE
& FOR ELUTION
etWU 5r7If °1
City Attorney Date
Resolutions - R7 A
MIAMI BEACH
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Raul J. Aguila, City Attorney
DATE: May 22, 2019
SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, URGING MIAMI-DADE COUNTY TO
RESCIND THE LEASE ALLOWING OPERATION OF A FAST-FOOD CHAIN
RESTAURANT, CHICK-FIL-A, AT THE MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,
DUE TO CHICK-FIL-A'S ON-GOING FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF ANTI-
LGBTQ CAUSES, AND FURTHER URGING MIAMI-DADE COUNTY TO
DEVELOP A PROCEDURE TO SCREEN PROSPECTIVE BUSINESSES
WISHING TO DO BUSINESS ON THE COUNTY'S PUBLICLY-FUNDED
PROPERTY FOR HISTORY OF DISCRIMINATORY BEHAVIOR AND FOR
COMPLIANCE WITH THE MIAMI DADE COUNTY HUMAN RIGHTS
ORDINANCE.
RECOMMENDATION
Pursuant to the request of Commissioner Michael Gongora, the above-referenced Resolution is
submitted for consideration by the Mayor and City Commission at the May 22, 2019
Commission meeting.
Legislative Tracking
Office of the City Attorney
Sponsor
Commissioner Michael Gongora
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
D Resolution
Page 4 of 10
Agenda Item R7 A
5/21/2019 Chick-fil-A Donated Millions To Anti-LGBTQ Charities In 2017,Records Show I Huff Date 5.R-72A2_
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QUEER VOICES 03/21/2019 03:05 pm ET
Chick-fil-A Donated Millions To Anti-LGBTQ
Charities In 2017, Records Show
The company claimed its anti-LGBTQ days are a thing of the past. Critics don't
clucking believe it.
441 By Ryan Grenoble
11
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as to"what constitutes a marriage.
And I pray God's mercy on our
generation that has such a prideful,
arrogant attitude to think that we have
the audacity to define what marriage is
about."
411100,
Which came first: the chicken, or the anti-LGBTQ organizations the chicken donates millions to every
year?
Chick-fil-A Donated Millions To Anti-LGBTO Ch... 5.2k ® �
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chick-fil-a-anti-Igbtq-charities_n_5c93aa1fe4b01 b140d36a586 1/6
5/21/2019 Chick-fil-A Donated Millions To Anti-LGBTQ Charities In 2017,Records Show I HuffPost
Fast food chain Chick-fil-A continued to contribute millions of dollars to organizations with anti-
LGBTQ agendas after it promised not to, newly released tax filings obtained by ThinkProgress show.
HUFFPOST
REAL LIFE. REAL NEWS.
REAL VOICES.
Help us tell more of the stories that
matter from voices that too often
remain unheard.
Support HuffPost
The privately owned chain, long associated with anti-LGBTQ causes, publicly pledged not to "have a
political or social agenda" after its billionaire CEO, Dan Cathy, stoked outrage and a boycott in
2012 publicly decrying gay marriage.
In 2017 (the most recent tax filing available), Chick-fil-A donated $9.9 million to charity, of which
roughly $1.8 million went to three groups known to discriminate against LGBTQ people.
Of the three, Chick-fil-A gave the most, $1.65 million, to an organization called the Fellowship of
Christian Athletes. Per Chick-fil-A's website, the cash funded "sports camps and school programs for
inner-city youth."
A laudable goal, for sure. Save for the fact the group requires camp leaders to sign a "statement of
faith" prior to being admitted. The nine-point contract includes a "sexual purity statement" that
prohibits "heterosexual sex outside of marriage" and "any homosexual act." A second bullet on the
contract states that "marriage is exclusively the union of one man and one woman."
Chick-fil-A notes that camp participants — unlike camp leaders — aren't required to sign the pledge.
But that's hardly an argument for giving $1.65 million to the group, which harbors and preaches anti-
gay sentiment.
n Chick-fit-A Donated Millions To Anti-LGBTO Ci... 5.2k f ,m 411
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chick-fil-a-anti-Igbtq-charities_n_5c93aa1 fe4b01 b140d36a586 2/6
5/21/2019 Chick-fil-A Donated Millions To Anti-LGBTQ Charities In 2017,Records Show I HuffPost
f 1
PAUL J.RICHARDS VIA GETTY IMAGES
A Chick-SI-A restaurant is seen in Chantilly,Virginia on January 2,2015.
The company also donated $150,000 to the Salvation Army, a charity that has drawn increased
scrutiny for its lonq history of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
In 2012, a Salvation Army media relations director in Australia told a group of queer journalists that
gay people deserve death. (The charity hastily backpedaled from the statement.) And in 2017, the
same year as Chik-fil-A's donation, the New York City Commission on Human Rights charged the
Salvation Army with discriminating against transgender patients at four of its substance abuse
centers.
A third charity with anti-LGBTQ policies that received funds from Chick-fil-A has since been cut off,
the company told HuffPost. Tax filings show a $6,000 donation in 2017 to the Paul Anderson Youth
Home, a Georgia-based "Christian residential home for troubled youth" that teaches boys that
same-sex marriage is a "rage against Jesus Christ and His values," according to ThinkProgress.
In an emailed statement, Chick-fil-A said its foundation ceased donating to the youth home after
determining it "does not meet Chick-fil-A's commitment to creating a welcoming environment to all."
Chick-fil-A pushed back on reports its donations continue to advance anti-LGBTQ policies in a
separate statement to HuffPost, claiming the "sole focus" of the company's charity is "to support
causes focused on youth and education."
„ Chick-fil-A Donated Millions To Anti-LGBTQ Ch... 5.2kx �!
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chick-fil-a-anti-Igbtq-charities_n_5c93aa1 fe4b01 b140d36a586 3/6
5/21/2019 Chick-81-A Donated Millions To Anti-LGBTQ Charities In 2017,Records Show I HuffPost
to support a political or non-inclusive agenda is inaccurate and misleading. To view Chick-fil-A's full
stewardship report, please click here."
RELATED...
Put Down That Chick-Fit-A!
Don't Have a Cow Over Chick-fil-A
A Poem for Chick-fil-A
BEFORE YOU GO
two
Homeless population growing in Watsonville following Ross
Camp closure
es Ryan Grenoble Suggest a correction
National Reporter, HuffPost
MORE:
(Queer Life) (Hate Speech) (Charity) (Chick-fil-A) (Corporate Donations)
Chick-fil-A Donated Millions To Anti-LGBTQ Ch... 5.2k f ►=�
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chick-fil-a-anti-Igbtq-charities_n_5c93aa1 fe4b01 b140d36a586 4/6
5/21/2019 Chick-fil-A donated to Fellowship of Christian Athletes,other anti-LQBTQ groups-Vox
I/o
Chick-fil-A's charitable foundation kept donating to anti-
LGBTQ groups
In 2012, the company claimed it would "leave the policy debate over same-sex
marriage to the government."
By Gaby Del Valle I @gabydvj I gaby.delvalle@voxmedia.com I Updated Mar 22,2019,1:01pm EDT
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The Chick-f il-A Foundation donated more than$1.8 million to three groups with a history of anti-LGBTQ discrimination in 2017. 1 Alex Wong/Getty
Images
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I BY Vox
Chick-fil-A, the Georgia-based fast-food chain known for its juicy chicken sandwiches —
and for its executives' conservative strain of Christianity— has continued donating to
anti-LGBTQ charities through its foundation despite claiming it had no political affiliation,
ThinkProgress reports.
The Chick-fil-A Foundation donated more than $1.8 million to three groups with a history of
anti-LGBTQ discrimination in 2017, according to recently released tax filings analyzed by
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/3/21/18275850/chick-fil-a-anti-Igbtq-donations 1/4
5/21/2019 Chick-fil-A donated to Fellowship of Christian Athletes,other anti-LQBTQ groups-Vox
ThinkProgress. That year, Chick-fil-A's charitable arm gave $1,653,416 to the Fellowship of
Christian Athletes, a religious organization that requires its employees to refrain from
"homosexual acts"; $150,000 to the Salvation Army, which has been accused of anti-
LGBTQ discrimination and advocacy for years and whose media relations director once
claimed gay people "deserve death"; and $6,000 to the Paul Anderson Youth Home, a
Christian residential home that teaches young boys that same-sex marriage is a "rage
against Jesus Christ and His values."
These donations were made five years after Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy said the US was
"inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and we say we know
better than you as to what constitutes a marriage." Cathy's comments prompted a
nationwide boycott — as well as a counter-boycott, called "Chick-fil-A Appreciation
Day," created by then-Fox News host Mike Huckabee — and an eventual apology from the
company, which claimed it would "leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the
government and the political arena."
People weren't just upset about Cathy's comments; they were angry that the WinShape
Foundation, a charitable organization founded in 1984 by Truett Cathy, Cathy's father and
the founder of Chick-fil-A, donated money to a number of anti-gay charities like the
Marriage & Family Foundation, the Georgia Family Council, and Exodus International, a
group that promotes conversion therapy.
In response to the inevitable PR crisis caused by Cathy's comments, the fast-food chain
even promised to stop donating to anti-gay organizations, the Chicago-based advocacy
group Civil Rights Agenda claimed.
But as ThinkProgress's report shows, the company kept donating to anti-LGBTQ causes
and charities. This news may not be surprising to those who are familiar with Chick-fil-A's
contentious history with the LGBTQ community.
In 2012, after the Civil Rights Agenda claimed Chick-fil-A had said it would no longer give
money to anti-gay causes, the company declined to confirm whether that was true. "We
have no agenda, policy, or position against anyone," a spokesperson told BuzzFeed at the
time. "We have a 65-year history of providing hospitality for all people and, as a dedicated
family business, serving and valuing everyone regardless of their beliefs or opinions." Not
present in that statement was any clarification on whether Chick-fil-A would keep donating
to anti-gay causes.
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/3/21/18275850/chick-fil-a-anti-Igbtq-donations 2/4
5/21/2019 Chick-SI-A donated to Fellowship of Christian Athletes,other anti-LQBTQ groups-Vox
Still, the about-face seems to have worked. Chick-fil-A is on track to become the third-
largest fast-food brand in the United States. In 2018, the International Development
Council asked Cathy to give a keynote speech at a conference focused on "equality,"
according to the ThinkProgress report. At the time, the council's president, Jeff Finkle, told
ThinkProgress that Chick-fil-A was no longer donating to anti-gay causes. "They said, after
this year, there's only gonna be one group left that some people in the LGBTQ community
will object to — that's the Salvation Army," Finkle reportedly said, referring to the
company's 2016 donations. "They told us from now forward they are ceasing all other
contributions that have been deemed offensive."
In a statement to ThinkProgress, Chick-fil-A claimed the 2017 donations were used to fund
sports camps and children's programs, not to further an anti-gay agenda. "[S]ince the
Chick-fil-A Foundation was created in 2012, our giving has always focused on youth and
education," the company said. "We have never donated with the purpose of supporting a
social or political agenda. There are 140,000 people — black, white; gay, straight; Christian,
non-Christian — who represent Chick-fil-A. We are the sum of many experiences, but what
we all have in common is a commitment to providing great food, genuine hospitality, and a
welcoming environment to all of our guests."
This latest news has reignited opposition to Chick-fil-A. On Thursday, the San Antonio City
Council voted to remove a planned Chick-fil-A location from an airport concession
agreement, ThinkProgress reported. The location would have operated for seven years at
the San Antonio International Airport as part of the airport's contract with the travel retail
company Paradies Lagardere. Roberto Trevino, the city council member who advocated for
Chick-fil-A's removal from the plan, cited the company's anti-LGBTQ donations as the
reason for his disapproval.
A Chick-fil-A spokesperson told Vox that the "sole focus of our donations was to support
causes focused on youth and education. We are proud of the positive impact we are
making in communities across America and have been transparent about our giving on our
website. To suggest our giving was done to support a political or non-inclusive agenda is
inaccurate and misleading."
But the problem Chick-fil-A's critics have isn't what those organizations do with that
money — it's the values those groups promote, as well as the fact that Chick-fil-A
continued to donate to anti-gay groups despite claiming it would remain apolitical.
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/3/21/18275850/chick-fil-a-a nti-lg btq-donations 3/4
5/21/2019 Chick-fil-A donated to anti-LGBTQ group that bars employees from'homosexual acts'—ThinkProgress
Chick-fil-A donated to anti-LGBTQ group that
bars employees from `homosexual acts'
The group gave $1 .8 million to discriminatory groups in 2017, despite reportedly
claiming it was winding down that practice last year.
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MAR 20, 2019, 8:00 AM
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THE CHICK-FIL-A LOGO IS ON DISPLAY DURING THE PEACH BOWL, IN DECEMBER 2018. CREDIT: BY
MICHAEL WADE/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES
https://thinkprogress.org/chick-fil-a-anti-Igbtq-donations-tax-filings-62ca15281 f17/ 1/9
5/21/2019 Chick-fil-A donated to anti-LGBTQ group that bars employees from'homosexual acts'—ThinkProgress
Chick-fil-A has taken great pains to downplay its anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and giving, seven
years into a national boycott by LGBTQ and allied diners. But contrary to the company's
latest claims that it has no political or social agenda, newly released tax filings show that,
in 2017, the Chick-fil-A Foundation gave more than $1.8 million to a trio of groups with a
record of anti-LGBTQ discrimination.
The donations — $1,653,416 to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, $6,000 to the Paul
Anderson Youth Home, and $150,000 to the Salvation Army — actually represent a slight
increase from the previous year. The foundation's funding comes almost entirely from the
corporate treasury and shares leadership with the company.
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a religious organization that seeks to spread an
anti-LGBTQ message to college athletes and requires a strict "sexual purity" policy for its
employees that bars any "homosexual acts." Paul Anderson Youth Home, a "Christian
residential home for trouble youth," teaches boys that homosexuality is wrong and that
same-sex marriage is "rage against Jesus Christ and His values."
The Salvation Army has a long record of opposing legal protections for LGBTQ
Americans and at the time of the donations had a written policy of merely complying with
local "relevant employment laws." The organization's website has since changed to
indicate a national policy of non-discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender
identity.
TOP ARTICLES 1/5
https://thinkprogress.org/chick-fil-a-anti-Igbtq-donations-tax-filings-62ca15281 f 17/ 2/9
5/21/2019 Chick-fil-A donated to anti-LGBTQ group that bars employees from'homosexual acts'—ThinkProgress
I
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Meet the Texas law firm acting as a foreign agent for
Russia's ally in the Balk... READ MORE
Rubio's `personal view' defense of Chick-fil-
A is bogus. Here are the receipts.
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Chick-fil-A is one of a dwindling number of companies that still refuses to include explicit
protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in
its employment non-discrimination policy and received a zero from the Human Rights
Campaign in its annual buyers guide. Back in 2012, Chick-fil-A's CEO Dan Cathy opined
that America is "inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and
say we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage."
Advertisement
https://thinkprogress.org/chick-fiI-a-anti-Igbtq-donations-tax-filings-62ca 15281f17/ 3/9
5/21/2019 Chick-fil-A donated to anti-LGBTQ group that bars employees from'homosexual acts'—ThinkProgress
When pressed about the company's anti-gay positions, he responded "Well, guilty as
charged." A national boycott ensured, as well as a counter-protest "appreciation day" led
by then-Fox News host and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R).
In the wake of the bad publicity, the company posted a Facebook statement that it would
focus on making chicken and "leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the
government and political arena." Cathy wooed a prominent LGBTQ activist in 2013 and
spun him into believing the company was scaling back its anti-equality giving.
It did not do so. Last summer, ThinkProgress reported that Cathy had been selected to
give a keynote speech at an "equality" conference being held by the International
Economic Development Council. The council's president, Jeff Finkle, told ThinkProgress
in a phone interview at the time that Chick-fil-A had made similar claims of reform.
"I think if you look at where their donations were in 2010, 2011, and 2012 — and where
they are in 2018 and in the future — I think you'll see a company that is changing," Finkle
said.
Asked about the anti-LGBTQ donations in 2016, he added, "They said, after this year,
there's only gonna be one group left that some people in the LGBTQ community will
object to — that's the Salvation Army. They told us from now forward they are ceasing all
the other contributions that have been deemed offensive." (Cathy's name was removed
from the event website prior to the September conference.)
The 2017 numbers show — at least for that year — that did not change.
Reached for comment on Tuesday, Chick-fil-A, Inc. said the company had made a
decision in 2017 to no longer donate to the Paul Anderson Youth Home moving forward.
"In 2017, a decision was made by the Chick-fil-A Foundation to no longer donate to the
https://thinkprogress.org/chick-fil-a-anti-Igbtq-donations-tax-filings-62ca15281f17/ 4/9
5/21/2019 Chick-fil-A donated to anti-LGBTQ group that bars employees from'homosexual acts'—ThinkProgress
group after a blog post from 2010 surfaced that does not meet Chick-fil-A's commitment to
creating a welcoming environment to all," the company told ThinkProgress.
Advertisement
However the company has not ended its contributions to the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes or Salvation Army. It explained that its donations to those groups had been used
to support summer sports camps and various children's programs, respectively.
"[S]ince the Chick-fil-A Foundation was created in 2012, our giving has always focused on
youth and education," the company said. "We have never donated with the purpose of
supporting a social or political agenda. There are 140,000 people — black, white; gay,
straight; Christian, non-Christian — who represent Chick-fil-A. We are the sum of many
experiences, but what we all have in common is a commitment to providing great food,
genuine hospitality, and a welcoming environment to all of our guests."
Chick-fil-As practices made headlines again in recent weeks, after Rider University in
New Jersey declined to consider putting a location on campus, in light of the company's
record. The company similarly told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in December, "We
have no policy of discrimination against any group, and we do not have a political or
social agenda."
https://thinkprogress.org/chick-fil-a-anti-Igbtq-donations-tax-filings-62ca15281f17/ 5/9
5/21/2019 Chick-fil-A donated to anti-LGBTQ group that bars employees from'homosexual acts'—ThinkProgress
The then-dean of Rider's College of Business Administration, a self-described "committed
follower of Jesus Christ," announced earlier this month that she had resigned over the
decision and felt like she had "been punched in the stomach" when the school would not
apologize for criticizing Chick-fil-A's "corporate values," which she said were "exactly" like
her own.
https://thinkprogress.org/chick-fil-a-anti-Igbtq-donations-tax-filings-62ca15281117/ 6/9
5/21/2019 Chick-fil-A Executive Calls Supporting Anti-LGBTQ Organizations A'Higher Calling'I HuffPost
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U.S. NEWS 05/19/2019 05:23 pm ET
Chick-fil-A Executive Calls Supporting Anti-LGBTQ
Organizations A `Higher Calling'
The fast-food company has continued to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars
to anti-LGBTQ groups despite backlash.
oik By Sanjana Karanth
Content loaning...
- r, Chick-fil-A Executive Calls Supporting Anti-LGBTQ Organizatio... 2.5k f •
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chick-fil-a-anti-Igbtq-higher-calling_n_5ce 1 ad1 ae4b00e035b9258e2?guccounter=1 1/5
5/21/2019 Chick-fa-A Executive Calls Supporting Anti-LGBTQ Organizations A'Higher Calling'I HuffPost
Rodney Bullard, leader of the Chick-fil-A Foundation, defended the group's donations in an interview published
Wednesday in Business Insider,saying they were"relevant and impactful to the community."
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"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," said Bullard,the company's vice president of
corporate social responsibility and the executive director of the company's charitable foundation. "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."
Bullard told Business Insider that Chick-fil-A is focused on serving low-income and underprivileged children, ignoring
the fact that LGBTQ youth are often disproportionately harmed by issues like homelessness, mental illness and poor
education.
The company,which is headquartered in Georgia, has long drawn criticism over its donations to anti-LGBTQ
organizations.Tax documents obtained in March by ThinkProgress found that the company donated about$1.8 million
in 2017 to groups known to discriminate against the queer community, including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes,
The Salvation Army and the Paul Anderson Youth Home.Chick-fil-A said it has since stopped donating to the latter
organization after learning of its strict policy against same-sex marriage.
Chick-fil-A has also gained heat for not including employee protections for discrimination stemming from sexual
orientation and gender identity, according to ThinkProgress. The company also consistently scores a zero in the
Human Rights Campaign's annual buyers guide.
The company prompted outrage in the LGBTQ community after billionaire CEO Dan Cathy publicly denounced same-
sex marriage in 2012. Chick-fil-A since pledged not to have a political agenda,though its tax filings show differently.
In the months since the filings' release,two airports have banned Chick-fil-A from opening on their premises.San
Jose,California,said it would allow a location at its airport if the company encourages hiring LGBTQ employees and if
LGBTQ flags are hoisted at the airport to counter queer discrimination.
Some people on Twitter reacted to the Chick-fil-A Foundation's dismissal of criticism over its donations to anti-LGBTQ
organizations:
christine teigen
@chrissyteigen
„ Chick-fil-A Executive Calls Supporting Anti-LGBTQ Organizatio... 2.5k ^i f V di
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