Plans by Chick-fil-A to open an outpost in gay-friendly Palm Springs, California, have sparked fierce backlash from angry residents who want to shut out the devout company, once known for donating to anti-LGBTQ causes. caused it.
Palm Springs resident Matt Robinson posted an image to his Facebook account earlier this week showing a sign in front of a small shopping center.
A sign posted in front of 5200 Ramon Road says “Project Under Consideration,” where Chick-fil-A will build a 5,635-square-foot store with a three-lane drive-thru and indoor and outdoor seating areas. It’s planned.
Robinson’s post received more than 460 comments, the overwhelming majority of which were negative.
“I prefer chicken without the homophobic aspects,” Facebook user Brown Aneka wrote.
Another Facebook user, Byron Winward, said Chick-fil-A is “pretty nervous” about finding a restaurant in an area where “10 out of 11 people are gay.”
“As a straight ally, I’ll have to pass,” commented Peggy Killion, vowing “not to spend a dime there.”
The backlash prompted Palm Springs Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein to write his own memo on Facebook.
Bernstein said critical comments have been “heard and noted,” but noted that Palm Springs “certainly welcomes new business and economic development.”
“Concerns about specific businesses should not be generalized,” he wrote.
Bernstein said Chick-fil-A’s plans to move into Palm Springs are “currently on hold” and “the new tenant and shopping center owner will finalize lease terms.”
Calls to the property manager at 5200 Ramon Road went unanswered.
The Post has reached out to Chick-fil-A for comment.
The Palm Springs chicken scandal comes after a former New York Times opinion editor revealed that he was shamed by a Gray Lady colleague for loving Chick-fil-A’s spicy chicken sandwich. Fast food chains ‘hate gays’.
Adam Rubenstein, a New York City-based journalist who was hired in 2019 to work in the opinion column as a columnist’s research assistant, said other Times staffers “pointed fingers” at him to show their displeasure. It started ringing.”
Palm Springs, about a two-hour drive from Los Angeles, is home to the largest gay and lesbian community in the United States.
Chick-fil-A, the successful Atlanta-based fast food chain, has become a frequent target of liberals who point out that the company’s chief executive has publicly expressed opposition to same-sex marriage. ing.
The company’s philanthropic arm also donates millions of dollars to organizations working against gay unions.
In 2017 and 2018, the Chick-fil-A Foundation donated $2.4 million to the Missouri-based Federation of Christian Athletes to support sports camps for underprivileged youth, and $165,000 to the Salvation Army to help children in need. I bought a Christmas present for.
In 2019, Chick-fil-A announced it would no longer donate to these organizations. In 2012, then-Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy said in multiple interviews that he did not support same-sex marriage.
In a recent interview, Cathy, the son of Chick-fil-A’s founder, reiterated his personal beliefs, saying he treats all customers with respect.
In 2019, municipal airports in San Antonio, Texas, and Buffalo, New York intentionally excluded Chick-fil-A from concession agreements due to Chick-fil-A’s past stance on LGBTQ issues.
A year later, Chick-fil-A announced it was no longer considering opening a restaurant at the San Antonio airport, even though the city ultimately relented.
