After anti-gay flap, Chick-fil-A wings in new direction [backing away from social issues]

KENS News 5 ^ | 04/08/2014 | Bruce Horovitz

[GIdget2004]

Chick-fil-A is finally crossing the road.

The iconic chicken chain, as well-known for its conservative heritage as its savory eats, is recalibrating its moral and culinary compass. It wants to go from old school to almost cool. It wants to evolve from a place where gays once picketed to a place where they'll feel comfortable going to eat. It wants to broaden the brand as it expands nationally and plows into the Millennial-driven urban arena. Above all: it wants to be a serious player on fast-food's biggest stage.

USA TODAY was exclusively invited inside to visit the company's sprawling, wooded campus, get the first look at its new test kitchen, tour its store-of-the-future development facility and interview Chick-fil-A's controversial CEO Dan Cathy. Cathy, whose comments condemning gay marriage in 2012 set off store picketing and a social media firestorm, has now fully backed away from such public pronouncements that mix personal opinion on social issues with corporate policy.

"All of us become more wise as time goes by," he says, apologetically, in a rare, one-hour sit-down interview. "We sincerely care about all people."

(snip)

Chick-fil-A's socially conservative agenda, which formally led the company to donate millions to charitable groups opposed to gay marriage, has been tempered. This, just as the company aims to quickly expand into Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Southern hospitality must give way to urban reality as the 1,800 store chain moves to compete with big city success stories like McDonald's, Panera Bread and Chipotle.

If nothing else, Cathy has listened. In 2012, Cathy not only heard from some unhappy consumers about his comments against gay marriage, but also from some store operators and employees. Now, he says, "I'm going to leave it to politicians and others to discuss social issues."

[Albion Wilde]

Where are you getting that "renouncing" business? Are you unable to detect the internal editorializing and agenda spin in the article?

Simmer down there, don-o. The two things do not contradict one another. I was speaking of the marketing expansion plan, and the Cathys already knowing that the northern and western cities are going to be hostile territory, requiring lots of demonstrations of liberal "tolerance." He speaks of wanting everyone to visit his restaurants. Wait until his regular after-church crowd gets a load of the first post-Pride-parade crew making a point to visit the newly opened CFA in a northern/western city.

[Blue Highway]

ok doing some poking around, this Shane Windmeyer guy is real and is head of Campus Pride a gay rights advocacy group.

It is also true he IS spending time with Dan Cathy and they ARE friends now.

After reading this article, I get even more proof Dan Cathy caved in.

He bent over backwards to provide Windmeyer IRS documents to prove Chick-FIL-A is no longer providing funding of the most divisive anti-gay and lesbian groups. Why was Dan Cathy giving this fool any concessions or promises to not give to certain anti-gay groups? That IS the very definition of a cave in! Someone should have told this gay dude to pound sand!

Even Shane Windmeyer himself was dumbfounded about Dan Cathy inviting Shane to the Chick-FIL-A bowl last year with the rationale (and correctly by the way) that conservative groups would not like this at all and may boycott because of this.

As Dan and I grew through mutual dialogue and respect, he invited me to be his personal guest on New Year's Eve at the Chick-fil-A Bowl. This was an event that Campus Pride and others had planned to protest. Had I been played? Seduced into his billionaire's life? No. It was Dan who took a great risk in inviting me: He stood to face the ire of his conservative base (and a potential boycott) by being seen or photographed with an LGBT activist. He could have been portrayed as "caving to the gay agenda" by welcoming me.

To all of the naysayers on here defending Dan Cathy or arguing he wasn't backing down on his anti-gay stance, what do you say now? Is that article I linked to by Shane Windmeyer ALSO a ministry of propaganda? Is the picture of Shane Windmeyer and Dan Cathy photoshopped? I don't think so.

[Lazamataz]

So? Jesus dined with tax collectors. — the most hated, venal, despicable men of their time.

I prefer the Jesus model.

And Jesus tells me, you still need rest.

[Blue Highway]

Is Dan Cathy ready to invite the freaks and queers in San Fransisco into his Bible going crowd of Chick-FIL-A? Talk about pissing off your core audience.

[don-o]

Wait until his regular after-church crowd gets a load of the first post-Pride-parade crew making a point to visit the newly opened CFA in a northern/western city.

So what? I am sure their money spends. Folks who live in such benighted places should not be shocked - even church folks. Except, never on Sunday.

[Lazamataz]

Blue Highway needs rest.

[Blue Highway]

so, while you are still not actually admitting anything, by ommission you are saying a boatload. What brand of Christianity do you follow where homosexuality is accepted and approved? You have no problem with Dan Cathy befriending this queer? Are you kidding me?

[discostu]

In the end political opinions are anathema to profit. Smart business runners keep their opinions away from the business.

[Lazamataz]

Is Dan Cathy ready to invite the freaks and queers in San Fransisco into his Bible going crowd of Chick-FIL-A?

Sure! And maybe even meet them in person. What better way to work in a discussion of sin, and redemption.

Talk about pissing off your core audience.

... so long as that 'core audience' hates what Jesus used to do, I suppose I agree.

Your need for rest is logarithmically increasing as the day progresses.

[Blue Highway]

Why do you keep saying I need rest? I might be a little hungry, but not tired. Strange...

[Lazamataz]

so, while you are still not actually admitting anything, by ommission you are saying a boatload. What brand of Christianity do you follow where homosexuality is accepted and approved? You have no problem with Dan Cathy befriending this queer? Are you kidding me?

so, while you are still not actually admitting anything, by ommission you are saying a boatload. What brand of Christianity do you follow where thievery and prostitution is accepted and approved? You have no problem with Jesus befriending tax collectors and prostitutes? Are you kidding me?

[Lazamataz]

Your need for rest is evidenced in the bizarre, anti-Jesus posts you are posting.

Stop hating on Jesus and his ways, yo.

Because He will kick your ass.

[Blue Highway]

thievery and prostitution was accepted and approved? I must have missed that when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, and when God created the flood that killed off all of mankind save for Noah’s family. Remember Jesus’ admonition of “go and sin no more”? That seems more appropriate than, “ok I hate your sin but I’ll still cast my pearls among you swine” which seems to be your biblical perspective.

[Lazamataz]

I am quoting you back, and substituting the works of Jesus, and His name, so you could see the correlations.

But, sadly, this is lost on you. You are simply too damned dense.

I remember another Bible verse, about the futility of casting pearls before swine. No worries, you seem to be a minority of one, or very near it.

Now, get thee off the internet, and get the rest you so desperately need.

[don-o]

Why do you keep saying I need rest?

You need some time to reflect the fact that you are unable to separate the sin from the sinner. Jesus was dealing with your ilk all the time. Does "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." ring a bell?

[Lazamataz]

Thanks, dan-o. You get it.

Understand, Blue Highway will not get it. He never will. No amount of rest will help him get it.

Still, if he rests, we will not be subjected to his un-Christian nonsense.

[RetiredArmy]

Go away. I have not time for your games.

[Blue Highway]

ok thanks now I get it, I think... I need to start hanging around gay bath houses to hate the sin, but love the gay sinners. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[Lazamataz]

ok thanks now I get it, I think... I need to start hanging around gay bath houses to hate the sin, but love the gay sinners. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Jesus would have.

[don-o]

At the risk of preventing you from getting much needed rest, can you find where Dan Cathy has patronized a gay bathhouse? Unless the Georgia Dome qualifies.