HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2B - D Porter email1
Anita Fields
Subject:FW: Chic-Fil-A
From: Doran Porter <doranporter@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2024 5:14 PM
To: City Clerk <CityClerk@palmspringsca.gov>
Subject: Chic-Fil-A
NOTICE: This message originated outside of The City of Palm Springs -- DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are
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Dear Members of the Palm Springs City Council:
My name is Doran J Porter, my spouse and I moved here in 2014 from Hawaii because Palm Springs is
known for their inclusion and their stand against homophobia in its many forms
Fast food chain Chick-fil-A has become synonymous with homophobia — and after millions in donations
to anti-LGBTQ+ groups, it's not hard to see why Chick-fil-A does not belong in our community.
The chicken restaurant has made headlines going back over a decade for multiple cases of
discrimination against LGBTQ+ employees. Several queer workers told Huffpost in 2012 about the
"depressing" comments they've received from customers and coworkers alike. Almost a decade later in
2022, a transgender woman sued the owner of a franchise in Georgia for firing her over her gender
identity and ignoring repeated reports of sexual harassment.
The company most notoriously has drawn criticism and even boycotts over its millions in donations to
various groups with anti-LGBTQ+ ties, including over $1.7 million in 2009 alone. The highest
contributions that year were to Marriage & Family Legacy Fund ($994,199), Fellowship of Christian
Athletes ($480,000), National Christian Foundation ($240,000), and Focus on the Family ($12,500).
The Chick-fil-A Foundation donated $1.8 million to three anti-LGBTQ organizations in 2017, $1,653,416
going to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which enforces a "sexual purity" policy that bars
"homosexual acts." The Salvation Army received $150,000, with the last $6,000 going to the Paul
Anderson Youth Home, which provides housing for troubled youth, "teaches boys that homosexuality is
wrong," and that same-sex marriage is a "rage against Jesus Christ and his values."
Chick-fil-A gave another $1.65 million to the FCA and $115,000 to The Salvation Army in 2018, before
announcing in 2019 that it would cease its donations to the companies, and that its foundation would
only donate to a select few organizations. However, Tim Tassopoulos, president and chief operating
officer of Chick-fil-A, said in the announcement that "no organization will be excluded from future
consideration — faith-based or non-faith-based."
The Human Rights Campaign told The Advocate at the time that while the decision was "an important
step for Chick-fil-A, the company still does not have workplace protections and policies that are fully
inclusive of LGBTQ people." In fact, Chick-fil-A's profits have continued to fund efforts to block the
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Equality Act, which would update federal laws to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in
employment, housing, education, credit, and jury service.
Former CEO Dan Cathy — the son of Chick-fil-A’s founder Truett Cathy who drew ire in 2012 when he told
Christian publication The Baptist Press that he believed in the “biblical definition of the family unit,”
signalling his opposition to marriage equality — was revealed by the Daily Beast in 2021 to be among
several Christian billionaires who gave millions to the National Christian Charitable Foundation (NCF),
which has spearheaded the blockage of the Equality Act.
Chick-fil-A's continued support of anti-LGBTQ+ causes has motivated several colleges and other
locations to cut ties with the company or not allow new franchises at their locations. However, some
lawmakers have opted to take away the rights of businesses and consumers on behalf of the restaurant
by prohibiting them from rejecting Chick-fil-A based on their values.
When the San Antonio City Council in March 2019 rejected a Chick-fil-A for the city's airport,
conservative Texas legislators were so incensed they passed what became known as the "Save Chick-fil-
A Bill," preventing the state or its cities and counties from "punishing" individuals or businesses because
of their membership in or donations to religious organizations, including anti-LGBTQ+ ones. Republican
Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law that June.
I do not think Chick-fil-A has a place in our community or in any society that advocates insurance
information for equality and diversity. Please send a message and deny this application to open a facility
within our community.
Respectfully submitted by,
Doran j. Porter
3935 E Calle San Raphael
Palm Springs, CA. 92264