A Chicago
lawmaker says that Chick-fil-A is re-evaluating the multimillion-dollar
donations the company gives to anti-gay marriage activists and other groups
with “political agendas,” a month after company CEO Dan Cathy’s pro-traditional
marriage comments created a firestorm in the fast-food world between LGBT
supporters and gay-marriage opponents.
After weeks
of negotiations with city Alderman Joe Moreno, the fast-food restaurant agreed
to take “a much closer look” at which groups receive donations from the
WinShape Foundation, a non-profit created by the Cathy family and funded almost
entirely by Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, the company told Moreno.
“The
WinShape Foundations 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,”
Chick-fil-A’s senior director of real estate said in a letter to Moreno.
Between
2008 and 2010, the WinShape Foundation gave $3.2 million to groups that
advocate against same-sex marriage, according to the group’s tax reports. That
included $2,000 to the Family Research Council, which was designated as a “hate
group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2010, and $2,500 to the Alliance
Defense Fund, which supported California’s Proposition 8 to outlaw gay
marriage.
The Family
Research Council and the Alliance Defense Fund did not return requests for
comment.
News of these donations, which was sparked by Cathy’s saying he supports “the biblical
definition of the family unit,” sparked national outcry from gay-marriage
activists and an overwhelmingly supportive response from traditional-marriage
conservatives, who turned out in droves to dine at Chick-fil-A restaurants Aug.
1.
Moreno, who
represents the ritzy Northwest Side of Chicago, vowed to block construction of
a new Chick-fil-A restaurant in his ward after Cathy’s remarks. But in a
statement today, Moreno commended the company for making “real progress” toward
addressing “the very legitimate concerns of the LGBT community regarding
Chick-fil-A.”
Along with
re-evaluating funding to anti-gay marriage activist groups, Moreno said
Chick-fil-A has agreed to amend its corporate policy to include sexual
orientation in its anti-discrimination policy.
“The
company today has put into writing, for the first time, that its employees are
to ‘treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of their
beliefs, race, creed, sexual orientation and gender. .. our intent is not to
engage in political or social debates,’” Moreno said in a statement.
Because of
such changes to company policy, Moreno said he will recommend to the Chicago
City Council that Chick-fil-A construction plans be approved for its new
location in Chicago.
Chick-fil-A
did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment or confirmation of
Moreno’s statement.
The
WinShape foundation directed all comments through the Chick-fil-A headquarters,
which also serves as the foundation’s main offices, which did not respond to
requests for comment.
 |
| Gay marriage supporters, from left, Emmie Hesley, Cathy Dear and Amy Paffenroth hold signs in front of a Chick-fil-A in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Thursday Aug. 2, 2012, in protest of the chicken eatery's stance on gay marriage. (AP Photo/ Northwest Florida Daily News, Nick Tomecek) |
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