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Chick-Fil-A Cagily Suggests It May Be Backing Off Anti-Gay Donations

As part of a deal to open a new location in Chicago, fast food giant Chick-Fil-A may have agreed this week to include an LGBT non-discrimination policy for workers and customers, and to stop donating to anti-gay groups. Chick-Fil-A wants to open a second location in the city, but has been met with resistance by the local LGBT community and city officials. Alderman Proco “Joe” Moreno has been trying to broker a deal.

A Chicago LGBT rights organization The Civil Rights Agenda told BuzzFeed Wednesday that as part of negotiations, the foundation responsible for Chick-Fil-A’s giving agreed to stop donating to anti-gay advocacy groups, including two far-right institutions, Focus on the Family and the National Organization for Marriage:

The comments came, the group The Civil Rights Agenda said, in correspondence with a Chicago alderman who had opposed the chain’s expansion to the city.

“The WinShape Foundations is now taking a much closer look at the organizations it considers helping, and in that process will remain true to its stated philosophy of not supporting organizations with political agendas,” the chain is said to have written in a letter to Alderman Proco Moreno. The Chicago group added in a press release: “In meetings the company executives clarified that they will no longer give to anti-gay organizations, such as Focus on the Family and the National Organization for Marriage.

Oddly, though, neither Focus on the Family nor the National Organization for Marriage are on the list of groups to which WinShape has donated.

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In following up for more details, BuzzFeed received a canned response from the company, saying, “We have a 65-year history of providing hospitality for all people and, as a dedicated family business, serving and valuing everyone regardless of their beliefs or opinions.” That line echoes Chick-Fil-A’s Senior Director of Real Estate and its Facebook page, but are in direct contradiction to some of the company’s president, Dan Cathay’s, remarks.

Chicago was at the epicenter of the Chick-Fil-A battle, with its only Chick-Fil-A owner speaking out against the company, and city officials — including Moreno — threatening to stop the store from opening a second location at all.