BOSTON -- Pro-LGBT fried chicken lovers are happy to hear that Chick-fil-A has crossed two anti-gay charities off its donation list. Members of the LGBT community in Boston believe they can now feel welcome in this fast-food chain after the policy change.
“Beginning in 2020, the Chick-fil-A Foundation is introducing a more focused giving approach to deepen its giving to a smaller number of organizations,” the Chick-fil-A Foundation said on Monday.
The closure of Boloco, a burrito restaurant in Copley Square, is expected to close up shop for the establishment of Boston’s first-ever Chick-fil-A restaurant. The Zoning Board of Appeals approved a plan to transform the 5,280-square-foot restaurant back in February. The restaurant will expand into the second floor of the building and the ground-floor addition will reduce the patio to 16 seats from the current 32.
The new donation list no longer includes the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes – two organizations that have repeatedly made controversial statements on homosexuality and same-sex marriage in the past. Brin Walsh, president of Emerson’s Advancement Group for Love and Expression (EAGLE), heard the company was stopping donations these organizations but still isn’t sure if he trusts Chick-fil-A.
“The stopping of one action doesn’t mean the stopping of bigotry,” Walsh said. “However, if this is a bid to increase sales, then I hope it does. That would show them that respecting and recognizing the LGBT community pays off.”
Chick-fil-A has been looking for locations in the city since 2012 but late Mayor Thomas Menino drew sharp criticism over the company because of its negative view on same-sex marriage. He blocked the company from opening a location in Boston and criticized Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy in an open letter.
“When Massachusetts became the first state in the country to recognize equal marriage rights, I personally stood on city hall plaza to greet same-sex couples coming here to be married,” Menino wrote. “It would be an insult to them and to our city’s long history of expanding freedom to have a Chick-fil-A across the street from that spot.”
Boston residents will be able to “Eat More Chickin” soon since Mayor Marty Walsh softened the stance on opening a location in the city.
“I have not heard anything negative about Chick-fil-A coming in,” Walsh told CBS Boston. “I know there was a situation many many years ago about Chick-fil-A coming in. I think the ownership of the company, same family different people in charge, have changed a lot of the philosophies.”
Natalie Neal, a sophomore at Suffolk University, is a fried-chicken sandwich fan and a member of the LGBT community. She said she is glad that Chick-fil-A is opening up in the city because she is tired of all the other cheap, fast-food restaurants in the area.
“I am happy to see Chick-fil-A make progress in accepting the [LGBT] community and getting more comfortable with the idea of same-sex marriage,” Neal said. “I don’t think that ‘being Christian’ means you have to hate the gays. Love is love, man.”
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