Chick-fil-A Dropping Anti-LGBTQ Donations

Credit: Rashid Umar Abbasi/Reuters

Chick-fil-A is overhauling its donation strategy, ending donations to two organizations that have long angered LGBTQ activists.

On Monday, the fast food chain announced that it would only donate to a certain group of charities beginning next year. Their list no longer includes the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) – both of which have long taken controversial stands on homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

The FCA has been firm in its stance, with its employee application going as far as stating that “neither heterosexual sex outside of marriage nor any homosexual act constitute an alternative lifestyle acceptable to God.”

The Salvation Army has cited the Bible in the past, saying that scripture forbids sexual intimacy and marriage between members of the same sex and that gay Christians should embrace celibacy. However, the organization has strongly refuted accusations that it is anti-LGBTQ.

Chick-fil-A will instead work exclusively with organizations that focus on education, homelessness and hunger. They have partnered with Junior Achievement USA and Covenant House International, and will be donating $25,000 to local food banks.

Tim Tassopoulos, president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, said in a statement that, “No organization will be excluded from future consideration — faith-based or non-faith-based.”

Start your Morning With a Slice of Cat-Shaped Bread

A Tropical Storm Forms in the Atlantic as Hurricane Season Nears its End