A second Chick-fil-A location opened outside of the United States on Oct. 10, only to announce eight days later that its doors will close after six months.
The fast-food chain has faced criticism from members and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community in recent years on the grounds of their donations to Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), the Salvation Army and other organizations against same-sex marriage.
Since 2012, Chick-fil-A has been scrutinized for its anti-LGBTQ+ attitude. CEO Dan Cathy once said he supported the “biblical definition of the family unit.” He expressed thanks for living in a country where he can “share [his] values and operate on biblical principles.”
Reading Pride UK has been leading protests since the location’s opening and stated “The chain’s ethos and moral stance goes completely against our values, and that of the UK as we are a progressive country that has legalized same-sex marriage for some years, and continues to strive towards equality,” in a tweet noting the company’s donations and Cathy’s 2012 comments.
Social media posts of the protest can be found through #GetTheChickOut.
At the Oct. 19 rally, the UK Pride Network said, “We don’t agree with the policies and procedures you have in place. You are not welcome anywhere in the UK, and we will stand up like we did today quite rightly telling you to Cluck Off if we see you again.”
A spokeswoman of the shopping mall said it was “the right thing to do,” to not remain open longer than the “six-month pilot period.”
According to 2017 tax filings, the Atlanta-based company donated more than $1.6 million to FCA, a Christian youth organization whose “Statement of Faith” says marriage is to be “exclusively the union of one man and one woman.”
After $6,000 of donations to Paul Anderson Youth Home in 2017, the Chick-fil-A Foundation decided to no longer give to the group. The Christian home for children follows “a Christ-centered, holistic, and therapeutic approach towards transforming the lives of young men,” that teaches it is wrong to be gay.
The Salvation Army, which received $150,000 in 2017, has the mission to “preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.” The charity’s USA website now has a page dedicated to their support of the LGBTQ+ community, offering shelter, job training, help with substance abuse, food insecurity and teenage suicide.
The Chick-fil-A Foundation stated donations focus on “homelessness and poverty, education and community revitalization,” and never gives with the notion of a “social or political agenda.”
In June, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a ‘Save Chick-fil-A Bill’ (Senate Bill 1978) protecting the rights of private businesses to donate to any organization they choose. “Adverse action” may not be taken by the government against any individuals or businesses based on membership, support or donations to religious groups. The bill came after a San Antonio City Council vote rejected a location of the fast-food chain to open at the municipal airport, discriminating their charitable choices.
Chick-fil-A said they negotiated to stay six months in Reading’s shopping mall, The Oracle, “as part of a longer-term strategy” while they look to expand their international presence, including 15 more locations in Toronto, Canada, the New York Times reported. The eatery currently has over 2,400 outlets, five of which are located in less than a four-mile radius from the DU campus.
