After Chick-fil-A ends donations to 'anti-LGBTQ' charities, gay advocacy group says that's not enough

An LGBTQ advocacy organization called for Chick-fil-A to do more in support of LGBTQ rights within the company, a day after the restaurant chain announced it would no longer be donating to the Salvation Army, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Paul Anderson Youth Home.

GLAAD, which stands for Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said Chick-fil-A needs to address employee rights as its next step.

"In addition to refraining from financially supporting anti-LGBTQ organizations, Chick-fil-A still lacks policies to ensure safe workplaces for LGBTQ employees and should unequivocally speak out against the anti-LGBTQ reputation that their brand represents," a GLAAD statement said. 

GLAAD's response:

"In addition to refraining from financially supporting anti-LGBTQ organizations, Chick-fil-A still lacks policies to ensure safe workplaces for LGBTQ employees and should unequivocally speak out against the anti-LGBTQ reputation that their brand represents,"

— Chad Felix Greene (@chadfelixg) November 19, 2019

Chick-fil-A has denied that the decision to stop funding the three aforementioned organizations had anything to do with outside pressure to withdraw support for organizations perceived to be antagonistic toward LGBTQ people.

Instead, the company said in a statement that it is attempting to focus its giving on three causes: hunger, homelessness, and education. Multi-year obligations to the Salvation Army and FCA have ended, and Chick-fil-A will now provide funding to organizations through grants that will be reviewed annually.

"Our goal is to donate to the most effective organizations in the areas of education, homelessness and hunger. No organization will be excluded from future consideration – faith-based or non-faith based," a spokesperson told the Christian Post.

Chick-fil-A has for years been a target of protesters and LGBTQ advocacy groups, dating back at least to 2012 when CEO Dan Cathy publicly affirmed a belief in traditional, heterosexual marriage at at time when same-sex marriage was being voted on across the country.

Despite that criticism, the chain has continued to thrive, becoming the third highest-selling chain behind McDonald's and Starbucks, even while only operating six days out of the week.