Conservatives are calling for a boycott against Chick-fil-A after finding out the company has an executive focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
In countless remarks on Twitter this week, right-wing users, who have long supported Chick-fil-A given its owner’s Christian beliefs, vowed to stop visiting the fast food chain.
The proposed boycott follows similar actions by conservatives against Bud Light and Target, two companies that showed support for the LGBTQ community and were hit by vicious backlash online.
A page on Chick-fil-A’s website detailing its DEI policy, which calls for a diverse and discrimination- and harassment-free workplace, is being cited by many online as evidence that Chick-fil-A has adopted anti-Christian values.
In one such viral criticism, religious author Darrell B. Harrison accused the food establishment of “committing the sin of partiality” before arguing that “a so-called Christian company” could not “justify this policy biblically.”
Other users expressed outrage over the company’s promise not to discriminate against or tolerate the harassment of anyone based upon everything from sex, race, color, and religion to sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and gender expression.
“Something tells me @ChickfilA is going to be called to repent soon,” another said in response to the policy.
Erick McReynolds, the vice president of DEI, said in a statement on the company’s website that “Chick-fil-A restaurants have long been recognized as a place where people know they will be treated well.”
“Modeling care for others starts in the restaurant, and we are committed to ensuring mutual respect, understanding, and dignity everywhere we do business,” McReynolds wrote. “These tenets are good business practice and crucial to fulfilling our Corporate Purpose.”
McReynolds, according to LinkedIn, has been with Chick-fil-A for 16 years and led its diversity and inclusion efforts for the past three years.
Many conservatives didn’t seem to understand that the person has long worked there—painting it as a new hire—perhaps to emotionally cope with the fact that they’ve long patronized a business that promotes diversity.
“We have a problem. Chick-Fil-A just hired a VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” another user wrote. “This is bad. Very bad. I don’t want to have to boycott. Are we going to have to boycott?”
Some even called for McReynolds to be fired.
“Chick-Fil-A got WOKE I will NOT [patronize] their restaurants until they repent and lay off DEI staff (and those responsible for the initiative).
While the topic has become popular on social media, it remains to be seen whether the alleged boycott will cut into Chick-fil-A’s bottom line.
