Dan Cathy once again directed his opposition to same sex marriage onto the blogosphere and internet via twitter. He tweeted the anti-gay statement saying, “sad day for our nation; the founding fathers would be ashamed of our generation, abandoning the wisdom of the ages, the cornerstone of strong societies.” As of now the post has been deleted.
Wednesday the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, and the entire country is up in arms with controversy. Major celebrities and public figures have each pushed their own opinions into the public space, from President Barack Obama to Justice Scalia of the Supreme Court, to Trekkies William Shatner and George Takei.
According to the Huffington Post, a spokesperson for Chick-Fil-A commented on the company’s position, but did not directly comment on Dan Cathy’s tweets. Spokesperson Jerry Johnson commented, “Dan Cathy, like everyone in this country has his own views. However, Chick-Fil-A is focused on providing great tasting food and genuine hospitality to everyone.
The problem with the situation is that Dan Cathy caused a veritable riot the last time he decided to go public with his opinions that were scathing to the gay community. At the height of the media storm, thousands of gays stormed the chicken restaurants, demanding to be served fried chicken with equality. With so many gays demanding quality service, business boomed, an unintended consequence from the statement that was turned into a financial boon for Chick-Fil-A. After the anti-gay comment the controversy led to food-protests and general havoc. But how did the controversy and publicity affect the company’s P & L? The fast-food giant opened 96 new stores and took in $4.6 billion in sales in 2012, which is up 14 percent from the previous year, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Yet hundreds of fried chicken fans around the country denounced the discriminatory remarks that COO Cathy made. It was found that Chick-Fil-A had made donations to several kinds of highly conservative groups including right-wing groups that oppose same sex marriage. Several groups that have received donations from Chick-Fil-A include Exodus International, Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. To be clear on what these groups are, the mission statement of Exodus International from their own website states “Mobilizing the body of Christ to minister grace and truth to a world impacted by homosexuality.” So when Dan Cathy stated that “we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation,” it is with serious consequence. Lobbyists have a voice and can influence lawmakers.
To very quickly change the direction of the backlash, Chick-Fil-A released its mission, according to the Huffington Post, which is to “treat every person with honor, dignity, and respect, regardless of belief, race, creed, sexual orientation, or gender.” To help smooth things over, Chick-Fil-A spokesman Jerry Johnston explains why Dan Cathy’s tweet was deleted. “He realized his views didn’t necessarily represent the views of all customers, restaurant owners and employees and didn’t want to distract them from providing a great restaurant experience.”
