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Andrew Cathy, CEO of Chick-fil-A, has spoken out about his company’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights — and there’s been a lot left unsaid.
Business is booming for Chick-fil-A. The Georgia-based company reportedly had nearly $24 billion in revenue last year and ranked third on USA TODAY’s 2026 list of Best Fast Food Restaurants. Chick-fil-A’s mouth-watering chicken sandwiches and friendly employees keep customers coming back for more, but the establishment still can’t escape an unpleasant part of its past.
In a new interview, Cathy didn’t take a strong stance against the LGBTQ+ community like her father, Dan Cathy, did when he ran the fast food chain. The eldest Cathy caused a public outcry in 2012 when she spoke out against same-sex marriage. Chick-fil-A was also shown to have donated to organizations considered anti-LGBTQ+, leaving a bad taste in customers’ mouths.
“There were people protesting; they were boycotting Chick-fil-A. They were saying, ‘Oh, Chick-fil-A, they don’t support the LGBTQ+ community.’ What would you say to these people? Today » show co-host Craig Melvin asked Andrew Cathy on Wednesday.
“Well, for anyone who hasn’t tried us, we would love for you to come and try our tasty food and the hospitality we are known for,” Cathy said. “I think anyone who would be willing to walk through the door will see that they are welcome to come and eat with us.”
While Cathy has promised a welcoming atmosphere to all who enter one of his restaurants, he has not made any direct comments on LGBTQ+ rights.
“You don’t want to talk about this chapter of Chick-fil-A history,” Melvin questioned.
But Cathy just reiterated: “We strive to serve everyone who comes to eat with us. »
In March 2019, it was revealed that the Chick-fil-A Foundation had donated more than $1.8 million to organizations that reportedly took a public stand against same-sex marriage.
The foundation gave more than $1.6 million to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and $150,000 to the Salvation Army, the progressive news site Think Progress reported at the time, citing tax filings. The Salvation Army says it welcomes people regardless of sexual orientation or other identities, and is committed to serving the LGBTQ community.
A few months later, Chick-fil-A announced that it would no longer fund the Christian Athletes Association and the Salvation Army, but would “deepen its donations to a smaller number of organizations working exclusively in the areas of education, homelessness and hunger.”
Cathy’s grandfather, S. Truett Cathy, opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta in 1967. The family’s Christian faith has always guided the business. Since the beginning, Chick-fil-A has been closed on Sundays to allow workers to go to church or simply rest.
“It is our anchor in the sense of what our corporate purpose states: that we are on a mission to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to be a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A,” Cathy told Melvin.
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