Reading Pride was the group that organized the protests against Chick-fil-A’s Reading location with the tagline, “Get the Chick Out.” The group’s chief executive told Berkshire Live, “This was not about their (or their CEO/founding family’s) beliefs, we’re not that thin-skinned. It was about their reported actions, that’s where we drew the line and decided to act.”
After Chick-fil-A left the United Kingdom, it turned its focus back to North America, increasing its store count in the U.S. and adding stores in Canada. And though Dan Cathy never waivered on his statements regarding traditional marriage, he told the Toledo Blade in 2014 that he wouldn’t be talking about it anymore. “The bottom line is we have a responsibility here to keep the whole of the organization in mind, and it has to take precedence over the personal expression and opinion on social issues.”
Chick-fil-A has donated a lot of money to charities every year, and one of the biggest criticisms Chick-fil-A has faced was its donations to groups characterized as opposed to gay rights. In 2019, it stopped donating to some groups that were considered anti-LGBTQ, intending to focus its funds on organizations focused on homelessness, education, and hunger, such as Feeding America and its Community Scholars program. Chick-fil-A plans to continue its strategy in the U.K., donating to local organizations while also introducing its Shared Table program.