An accusation that Chick-fil-A's charitable foundation has stopped making donations to pro-family groups isn't true.
The false report surfaced when Chicago Alderman Joe Moreno, who vowed this summer to block construction of a new Chick-fil-A in his district because of pro-family comments by the company's president, said recently that company officials had agreed not to donate to organizations that fight against homosexual "marriage." Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality discounts that report. (Listen to audio report)
"If Chick-fil-A actually was negotiating with this left-wing alderman in Chicago [Moreno] to try to get a restaurant there -- and [if] it was actually making pledges about giving, that would be wrong," he tells OneNewsnow. "Because that would be the moral equivalent of negotiating with terrorists -- and we all know you don't negotiate with terrorists."
The truth is, straight from Chick-fil-A, their foundation -- WinShape -- has not changed its policies on donations and does not support organizations with political agendas. The Georgia-based restaurant stands by the statement it released in July, which states the culture and service tradition of the company "is to treat every person with honor, dignity, and respect - regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender."
LaBarbera says the rash of publicity sparked by Moreno's recent comments, combined with a press release from the pro-homosexual activist group Civil Rights Agenda, has all the earmarks of a set-up to turn people against Chick-fil-A.
He also points out that "we all know that there are untold numbers of pro-homosexual corporations, like Starbucks and Pepsico, that are giving millions and millions of dollars to homosexual activist groups."
In contrast, however, the pro-family activist notes that when Chick-fil-A -- a Christian-run business -- writes a check to Christian-based groups that, in comparison, amounts to pennies, homosexuals want to turn the public against businesses operated by people of faith that do so.
LATEST UPDATE ... Late Friday, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee -- an ardent supporter of Chick-fil-A and initiator of "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" on August 1 -- reported company CEO Dan Cathy gave him the following statement during a personal conversation:
"There continues to be erroneous implications in the media that Chick-fil-A changed our practices and priorities in order to obtain permission for a new restaurant in Chicago. That is incorrect. Chick-fil-A made no such concessions, and we remain true to who we are and who we have been."