Chick-fil-A loses two lucrative airport deals in less than two weeks due to its anti-LGBT stance

After local politicians raised concerns about its history of donating to anti-LGBT causes, restaurant chain Chick-fil-A was denied two potentially lucrative airport contracts, CNBC reports.

The chain’s latest rejection comes from Buffalo Niagara International Airport, which comes a week after it was turned down by San Antonio International Airport for a proposed location.

Last Thursday, New York State Assemblyman Sean Ryan condemned plans to bring Chick-fil-A to the Buffalo airport.

“I was disappointed to learn of the [Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority’s] decision to introduce Chick-fil-A as a restaurant option at the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport,” Ryan wrote in a statement. “Chick-fil-A has a long history of supporting and funding anti-LGBTQ organizations. … As a state entity, the NFTA has a responsibility to avoid doing business with corporations who fund hateful and divisive groups. I strongly urge the NFTA to reverse this decision.”

Backlash against the restaurant first began to emerge seven years ago when news stories revealed that the company’s charity, WinShip Foundation, donated millions to anti-LGBT groups. Just last week, ThinkProgress reported that the company gave $1.65 million in 2017 to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a group that demands “sexual purity” from its employees.

In response to the rejections, Chick-fil-A released a statement saying that they’ve been the victims of an “inaccurate narrative.”

“Recent coverage about Chick-fil-A continues to drive an inaccurate narrative about our brand,” the statement read. “We do not have a political or social agenda or discriminate against any group. More than 145,000 people from different backgrounds and beliefs represent the Chick-fil-A brand. We embrace all people, regardless of religion, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Last week, the San Antonio City Council voted 6-4 to remove Chick-fil-A from its seven-year concession plan for San Antonio International Airport. Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has reportedly opened an investigation into the decision, saying that it’s a violation of the company’s religious freedom.

Featured image: Flickr

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.