Key Takeaways
- Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy said the chain focuses on “serving everybody” but repeatedly avoided stating its current position on LGBTQ+ rights during a TODAY interview.
- When Craig Melvin asked what Cathy would tell past protesters, the CEO invited people to try the company’s food and said anyone who walks through its doors will feel welcome.
- The controversy dates to 2012, when former president Dan Cathy publicly opposed same-sex marriage and warned that redefining marriage would invite “God’s judgment” on the nation.
Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy was asked directly about the fast-food chain's controversial history with the LGBTQ+ community, but anyone expecting a clear answer about where the company stands today didn't get one.
During an October 14 appearance on NBC's TODAY, Cathy repeatedly steered the conversation toward chicken sandwiches and customer service when pressed about the company's past opposition to same-sex marriage.
The exchange unfolded during a wide-ranging interview with Craig Melvin, who asked Cathy about Chick-fil-A's position on LGBTQ+ rights nearly seven years after the company announced changes to its charitable giving practices following years of criticism.
"We're focused on hospitality, serving great-tasting food, and great service," Cathy responded.
Melvin wasn't finished. He brought up the protests that erupted over the company's previous donations to organizations accused of opposing LGBTQ+ rights and asked what Cathy would say to those protesters today.
"Well, for anybody that hasn't tried us, we'd love for you to come try and have our great-tasting food and the hospitality that we're known for," Cathy said. "I think that everybody that will be willing to walk in the door, they'll see that they're welcome to come eat with us."
Melvin then pointed out that Cathy appeared reluctant to discuss that chapter of Chick-fil-A's history. The CEO offered another response centered on customers rather than the controversy.
"We're focused on serving everybody that comes in to eat with us," he said.
The questions weren't coming out of nowhere. Chick-fil-A became a flashpoint in the national debate over LGBTQ+ rights in 2012, when Cathy's father, then-president Dan Cathy, publicly opposed same-sex marriage.
That July, Ross Scarano published a sharply critical article titled "Chick-fil-A's President Is a Bigoted Jackass."
Scarano highlighted Dan Cathy's remarks during an interview on the conservative Ken Coleman Show, including his warning about the consequences of changing the definition of marriage.
“I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage,’” the elder Cathy said at the time.
