The phrase “homophobic chicken” has been attached to Chick-fil-a for many years now due to their very open, anti-LGBTQ+ stance on the LGBTQ+ community. Because of this, Chick-fil-a has gotten tons of backlash from the community due to their hesitance to accept everyone into their establishment. 

Recently, Chick-fil-a announced that they will be switching up the charities they donate to this holiday season. This news was intriguing because Chick-fil-a was backing out of donating to certain charities and foundations that openly took an anti-LGBTQ+ stance. Foundations and charities such as The Salvation Army, who has allegedly spoken against the LGBTQ+ community in the past years. 

Even though many have noticed this current change in heart and called the establishment out, Chick-fil-a has said that the charities and foundations they have chosen to support have nothing to do with their views on certain subjects. 

With this sudden change in heart, it is hard to deny that due to Chick-fil-a’s anti-LGBTQ+ stance, they have suffered many financial blows when attempting to expand their establishment.

Within the past years, Chick-fil-a has attempted to expand by building locations in both Toronto and England. Both have suffered much backlash from the communities they were built in. In Toronto, the LGBTQ+ community boycotted and protested during the opening day of the Toronto location. Within eight days of the opening in England, the food chain lost its lease. These locations later spoke out about not wanting to build and encourage establishments where not everyone would feel welcomed in the community. 

Although it is amazing to give back whenever possible, this is clearly more than just holiday generosity. With all the backlash Chick-fil-a has suffered over the past years for their stances, it is obvious that they are trying to blur the lines and become more favorable in the public eye. Chick-fil-a is using this “restructured charity donation” to get back into the good graces of the general public. 

Chick-fil-a being able to just change their ways in the midst of all their current backlash while attempting to expand seems clearly calculated. Although Chick-fil-a has claimed to want to become a more welcoming environment to all communities, it is clearly an attempt to get people off their backs for their stances.

Although Chick-fil-a has a killer spicy chicken sandwich, the fact that their recent business moves have been downright hypocritical. The fact that this is just a hidden business move and not a genuine change of heart concerning the LGBTQ+ community whose lifestyle they have publicly shamed before. I would consider looking somewhere else to stop for lunch, maybe… somewhere a little less homophobic that doesn’t reak of hypocrisy?