In the last two weeks, Chick-fil-A has missed out on two potentially lucrative airport contracts after local politicians raised concerns over the company’s anti-LGBTQ history.
Chick-fil-A has previously faced criticism and boycotts for its donations to anti-LGBTQ groups and CEO Dan Cathy’s public comments opposing gay marriage.
The chain is famously closed on Sunday for religious reasons.
According to New York State Assemblyman Sean Ryan, plans to open a Chick-fil-A in the food court of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport were scrapped because of the chain’s history of donating to groups with anti-LGBTQ agendas.
Last week, a similar decision was made regarding a proposed location at the San Antonio International Airport.
Last Thursday, Ryan tweeted a statement condemning the decision by Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority and Delaware North to bring Chick-fil-A to the airport, and now it seems that the management has disinvited the chain from opening in the food court.
“A publicly financed facility like the Buffalo Niagara International Airport is not the appropriate venue for a Chick-fil-A restaurant,” Ryan said in a statement. “I applaud the decision that has been made to remove Chick-fil-A from the plans for this project.”
Chick-fil-A has a long and well-documented history of donating money to anti-LGBTQ groups.
The chain faced backlash seven years ago when news broke that the company’s charitable endeavor WinShape Foundation donated millions of dollars to groups with with anti-LGBTQ agendas.
Chick-fil-A gave $1.65 million last year to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a group with a “sexual purity” policy for its employees banning “homosexual acts.”
The chain also made smaller donations to a Christian residential home that has a history of opposing gay marriage.
Last week, the San Antonio City Council approved an amendment to a seven-year agreement for Terminal A concessions that removed Chick-fil-A from the plans.
“San Antonio is a city full of compassion, and we do not have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior,” councilman Roberto Treviño explained in a statement. “Everyone has a place here, and everyone should feel welcome when they walk through our airport.” A rep for Chick-fil-A tells USA Today that “the press release issued by the councilmember was the first we heard of his motion and its approval by the San Antonio City Council.”
In addition to losing the airport concessions deal, Chick-fil-A also got nixed from the dining options at Rider University in New Jersey last year after students complained about the brand’s track record of supporting anti-LGBTQ groups.
The chicken sandwich purveyor is still one of America’s biggest chains, but its ambitious growth plan could certainly be hindered if more and more institutions like airports and college campuses continue to block the chain over its ties to anti-LGBTQ organizations.
Chick-fil-A released a statement about getting dropped by these two airports:
“Recent coverage about Chick-fil-A continues to drive an inaccurate narrative about our brand. We do not have a political or social agenda or discriminate against any group. More than 145,000 people from different backgrounds and beliefs represent the Chick-fil-A brand. We embrace all people, regardless of religion, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The group’s donations to organizations with explicitly anti-LGBTQ agendas seem to reflect the opposite of the statement.