Chick-fil-A won’t stop funding anti-gay causes, so Burger King is stepping in to help
Burger King's Ch'King sandwich will help fund LGBTQ equality to counter Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy's support for anti-LGBTQ causes
Amid news that Chick-fil-A is continuing to fund anti-LGBTQ causes, Burger King has announced that it will step in to help and donate money to advance LGBTQ rights.
The Daily Beast reported last week that Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy is using his fast food billions to donate to the National Christian Charitable Foundation (NCF).
NCF actively seeks to block the Equality Act, a landmark piece of LGBTQ rights legislation that would enshrine nondiscrimination protections into federal law. It also helps push for the same anti-transgender legislation being touted and passed by Republicans in states across the country.
Enter fast food rival Burger King, which has announced a campaign to try and dampen the impact of Chick-fil-A’s profits being used to support anti-LGBTQ groups.
Burger King tweeted last week that it will donate 40 cents from every sale of its recently released Ch’King sandwich during Pride Month.
All money raised — up to a maximum of $250,000 — will go to the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ rights organization.
*6/3-6/30 with every Ch'King sold, BK will contribute 40₵ to the Human Rights Campaign (Max. donation $250k)
— Burger King (@BurgerKing) June 4, 2021
While Burger King didn’t name drop Chick-fil-A, it highlighted that its stores are open on Sundays, unlike rival Chick-fil-A.
“This is a community we love dearly and have proudly supported over the years,” Burger King told USA Today in a statement, “so we couldn’t miss an opportunity to take action and help shine a light on the important conversation happening.”
For those interested, the Ch’King is a hand-breaded chicken sandwich served on a potato bun with pickles and a savory signature sauce, which Burger King calls its “greatest yet.”
Much like Chick-fil-A, there’s also the Spicy Ch’King, which has a “tingling spicy glaze,” and both sandwiches can be ordered in Deluxe form, featuring lettuce and tomato (but without the pickles).
Chick-fil-A has gained a reputation for being anti-LGBTQ, particularly given Cathy’s views on homosexuality — he previously said that Chick-fil-A supports “the biblical definition of the family unit.”
In 2019, it emerged that Chick-fil-A has funneled millions of dollars to anti-LGBTQ organizations, including the Salvation Army and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the company faced backlash after refusing to stop the anti-LGBTQ donations, calling it part of a “higher calling.”
The animosity over the fried chicken purveyor’s corporate actions has led to clashes with LGBTQ activists, who forced the first Chick-fil-A in the United Kingdom to close, while a number of places in the United States have either rejected new Chick-fil-As from being built, or refused offers of free food from the restaurant due to its perceived anti-LGBTQ animus.
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