ATLANTA (WXIA) — Chick-fil-A will cease making donations to two Christian charities that oppose same-sex marriage, a practice that has drawn fierce criticism from the LGBTQ+ community for years.
The Atlanta-based chicken chain told Reuters on Monday, after it announced its 2020 charity priorities, that it had "fulfilled (the) obligations" it had made in multiyear commitments to the charities - The Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes - through 2018.
In a release, Chick-fil-A announced it was donating $9 million in 2020 to groups that include Junior Achievement USA, an educational organization, and Covenant House International, which works to alleviate youth homelessness.
The company says it is also donating $25,000 to local food banks at every new Chick-fil-A opening next year, more than 120 locations in all.
While it says it has satisfied its commitments to these two specific Christian charities, the company said in the release that future donations could include other faith-based charities.
"Additionally, the Foundation will no longer make multiyear commitments and will reassess its philanthropic partnerships annually to allow maximum impact. These partners could include faith-based and non-faith-based charities," the release said.
Chick-fil-A has long faced protests from LGBTQ+ groups and has struggled with openings in more liberal cities such as New York City and Los Angeles.
Most recently, the operation of the first Chick-fil-A in England was abandoned after an outcry. Boycotts led a shopping center in Reading to limit the restaurant's lease to only six months.
