1. Deluxe Group Position Paper
Issue:
In 2012 Chick-fil-A president and COO, Dan Cathy was reported voicing his personal beliefs on gay
marriage. In an interview on the Ken Coleman Show Cathy said “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,‟” Dan Cathy and his family are faithful Evangelical Christians and have a traditional view of
marriage as being between a man and a woman.
Effects:
After making his religious views public, there was much backlash from the media and citizens.
Several reports of customers harassing employees of restaurants
50 Boycotts in front of restaurants
Negative coverage from media. (Dan Cathy’s anti-gay statement)
Banned from expanding restaurants into certain cities, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco.
Universities boycotting and banning locations. (NYU)
Position:
Dan Cathy does not revoke his statement about gay marriage. His personal beliefs do not reflect the views
of Chick-fil-A as a company. Although he does not revoke his statement, he is now going to leave the
debate for marriage equality to the political arena. He and Chick-fil-A will continue to service Americans
of all types.
As an American citizen under the constitution, Dan Cathy does have the right to freedom of speech and
religion. He has the right to openly express his views.
Chick-fil-A does not condone to discrimination against gays during the hiring process. Many gays are
managers and entry-level employees at Chick-fil-A.
Benefits:
Separating Dan Cathy’s view from the image of Chick-fil-A in the public
Reduce the amount of employees getting harassed
Stay true to traditions and beliefs/ values the company was founded on
The ability to publicly voice a personal opinion without any repercussions for Chick-fil-A
Downsize the amount of boycotts at Chick-fil-A