Chick-Fil-A President and COO Dan Cathy talked personally to Mike Huckabee yesterday and promised him his $4 billion company has made no concessions, has not changed any policies or practices, and will continue to support and fund anti-gay organizations through their Winshape Foundation charity.
READ:Â Lawmaker: Chick-Fil-A Agrees To End Donations To Anti-Gay Groups
Huckabee, creator of Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day, an ordained Baptist Minister, Fox News host, and failed former GOP presidential candidate, reported the conversation on his website yesterday:
I talked earlier today personally with Dan Cathy, CEO of Chick Fil-A about the new reports that Chick Fil-A had capitulated to demands of the supporters of same sex marriage. This is not true. The company continues to focus on the fair treatment of all of its customers and employees, but to end confusion gave me this statement:
“There continues to be erroneous implications in the media that Chick-fil-A changed our practices and priorities in order to obtain permission for a new restaurant in Chicago. That is incorrect. Chick-fil-A made no such concessions, and we remain true to who we are and who we have been.â€
This week Chicago Alderman Joe Moreno and a local LGBT civil rights group, The Civil Rights Agenda, jointly announced that Chick-Fil-A indeed had changed their policies, and their Winshape charity would no longer support anti-gay organizations, or any groups that advocate political or social issues. Additionally, the Chick-Fil-A senior director of real estate signed a statement promising Winshape would re-examine their practices. In return, they would be allowed to open another restaurant in Chicago.
READ:Â Chick-Fil-A Gets Multiple Human Rights Act Complaints Filed Against Them
Despite that announcement, many LGBT news sites, including The New Civil Rights Movement, reported an examination of Chick-Fil-A’s statement and the statement signed as part of the legal real estate deal, showed Chick-Fil-A did not appear to have made any changes.
The Winshape Foundation, founded by the Cathy family, who own Chick-Fil-A, to date has donated at least $5 million to anti-gay organizations, like Focus on the Family, Marriage & Family Foundation, the Fellowship Of Christian Athletes, and a small amount to an anti-gay hate group, Family Research Council.
Sarah Palin at one point was the head of the Fellowship Of Christian Athletes.
On Thursday, Mike Huckabee, a rabid Todd Akin supporter, announced he is creating what he hopes will be a “viral†anti-gay, anti-abortion get out the vote (GOTV) campaign.