Fast food chicken chain Chick-fil-A took to Facebook today in an attempt to diffuse remarks by the company’s president deriding gay marriage.
Chick-fil-A president and COO Dan Cathy, speaking to a religious news agency and talk show this week, said the company supports “family – the biblical definition of a family unit.”
Cathy |
Cathy said “we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage,’” he said.
The remarks came as media focused on the Boy Scouts of America’s decision to keep its ban on gay scouts and leaders in place.
The $4B-a-year Chick-fil-A released a statement on Facebook saying that all customers are welcome.
“The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect – regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender,” the company said. “We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 Restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators. Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.”
Don Perry heads corporate PR for Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A. Jackson Spalding is the company’s PR agency.
In its statement, Chick-fil-A noted the company’s founder, Cathy’s father Truett, applied “biblically based principals” like closing on Sundays, operating debt-free, and contributing to local communities to its business model.
The PR dust-up is the latest in a series of showdowns between the company and gay rights supports dating back years.
Cathy’s remarks were prompted by a question about the company’s support of organizations that have taken an anti-gay stance, like the Family Research Council, Focus on Family and Exodus International.
“We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives,” he told the Baptist Press.
Chick-fil-A’s statement on Facebook has drawn nearly 7,000 responses in a few hours.