Chick-Fil-A Has Spent $5 Million On Groups Trying To Stop Gay Marriage

Chick-Fil-A, the Atlanta-based fast food chicken restaurant that specializes in Christianity, has used its more than 1600 outlets to fuel its zest for stopping same-sex marriage, spending $5 million between 2003 and 2010 on anti-gay organizations and hate groups, including $2 million in 2010 alone.

The company, which was founded in 1946, and uses the tagline “Eat mor chikin” in its advertising, “donated over $3 million to organizations like the Family Research Council and Exodus International between 2003 and 2009. And in 2010 alone, Chick-fil-A donated over $1.9 million to anti-gay causes, more than any other year for which public records are available,” according to a report released today by Equality Matters, a part of Media Matters. The report details the organizations Chick-Fil-A has supported, and notes:

The WinShape Foundation is Chick-fil-A’s charitable arm, created by Chick-fil-A founder and chairman S. Truett Cathy in 1984. WinShape has received a substantial amount of funding from Chick-fil-A: in 2010 alone, WinShape received $8,067,161 from Chick-fil-A Inc.

Some of the other anti-gay organizations and hate groups Chick-Fil-A’s money has supported include Marriage & Family Foundation, Fellowship Of Christian Athletes, and the Georgia Family Council. The Family Research Council (FRC), mentioned above, is a certified anti-gay hate group.

Florida teacher Jerry Buell, who last year wrote on Facebook that same sex marriage almost made him throw up, is a member of the Fellowship Of Christian Athletes.

Wikipedia adds:

S. Truett Cathy is a devout Southern Baptist; his religious beliefs have a major impact on the company. The company’s official statement of corporate purpose says that the business exists “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.” Cathy’s beliefs are also responsible for one of the chain’s distinctive features: All Chick-fil-A locations (company-owned and franchised, whether in a mall or freestanding) are closed on Sundays, as well as on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

Zack Ford at Think Progress notes:

Groups like the National Organization for Marriage and One Million Moms continue to be unsurprisingly silent about whether Chick-fil-A should instead “remain neutral in the culture war.”