(A representative for Yum said the company "has zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind," and that donations were evenly split between candidates of both parties in 2020.
CHICK FIL A ANTI GAY MEME SNOPES PLUS
Wendy's PAC donated $55,000 to Republican Ohio representatives who voted against the bill, plus thousands more to members of Congress in other states who opposed the legislation.The McDonald's PAC donated $213,000 to members of the House of Representatives who voted against the act.For example, according to an Insider analysis of FEC data via the Center for Responsive Politics: Since the vast majority of Republicans in the House of Representatives voted against the Equality Act, many of these donations went to candidates who oppose the bill. These PACs tend to donate more money to Republican candidates than Democrats. Political action committees run by fast-food chains such as McDonald's, Wendy's, and Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut's parent company Yum Brands donated thousands of dollars to congressional candidates and political groups leading up to the 2020 election. While Chick-fil-A has seen backlash for its CEO's donations, the chain is an anomaly in that it does not donate to politicians, which is common practice in the restaurant industry. "Because I am among that demographic, I am calling on them - us - to use our power and influence." How do Chick-fil-A's donations differ from other chains? "There are countless academics and analysts who have written about how our democratic capitalism benefits only a few hundred incredibly wealthy families, individuals and corporations, so that the American dream is now reserved almost exclusively for them and their descendants," Cathy wrote.
In 2020, in the aftermath of George Floyd's death, Cathy wrote a letter to Chick-fil-A employees calling for them to "join together to build a world that reflects God's love for all of us."
In 2019, Rodney Bullard, the head of the Chick-fil-A Foundation, told Insider that the chain aimed to be "relevant and impactful" through its donations. "For us, that's a much higher calling than any political or cultural war that's being waged," Bullard said.Ĭhick-fil-A announced in November 2019 it would cease donations to the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, instead supporting charities tied to "three specific initiatives of homelessness, hunger and education."Ĭathy has continued to be involved in civil and philanthropic efforts. When Chick-fil-A opened pilot stores in the UK, it was met with protests, in part because of the company's ties to groups such as the NCF. In the years that followed, some activists continued to criticize the company for the Chick-fil-A Foundation's work with certain groups, specifically the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. However, Chick-fil-A pledged to stop most of its controversial donations after facing backlash in response to Cathy saying in 2012 that he did not support same-sex marriage. In 2010, for example, the chicken chain donated donated $247,500 to the NCF.
Prior to 2012, Chick-fil-A made significant donations to socially-conservative and Christian organizations known for opposing LGBTQ rights through its WinShape Foundation. According to 990 tax filings, the Dan and Rhonda Cathy Foundation donated $5,750 to the NCF in 2018, 2017, and 2016, the most recent years the filings are available. The ADF and the Heritage Foundation both strongly oppose the Equality Act, and have supported attempts to ban transgender athletes from youth sports.Ĭathy - the son of the Chick-fil-A's founder - has long supported the NCF financially. Among those are groups fighting legislation to protect LGBTQ rights, including the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation and legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom. The NCF is the sixth largest charity in the US and it donates to thousands of organizations. The report identified Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy as one of the group's "high-dollar donors." This week, The Daily Beast reported that the National Christian Charitable Foundation (NCF) has bankrolled opposition to The Equality Act, which would expand civil protections for LGBTQ people. But, the reality of its connection the group in question is a bit more complicated. LGBTQ activists are slamming Chick-fil-A after a report highlighted its apparent ties to a group fighting the Equality Act and other legislation designed to protect LGBTQ rights.