Chick-fil-A has become a surprise target of right-wing ire following the discovery that the company has an executive overseeing its diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

It joins a growing list of companies that right-wing media and conservatives on social platforms have chastised for so-called “woke” marketing. But Chick-fil-A is an unusual target for the right wing because of the company’s conservative bona fides.


What happened?

The fact that Chick-fil-A has been trending online and the subject of conservative media news segments shows the power that a few people with large social media followings can have.

In a series of tweets, including one that made a tr@nsphobic comment, right-wing political commentator Joey Mannarino earlier this week asked if people will the “boycott” the chain because of the company’s DEI efforts.

Shortly after, far-right personalities, including Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA and Ian Miles Cheong, joined in.


What’s really going on?

The target of their ire was Erick McReynolds, Chick-fil-A’s vice president of DEI, who’s held the position for about three years. Chick-fil-A says it is “committed to being better at together.”

“Our founder, Truett Cathy, believed that ‘a great company is a caring company,’” Chick-fil-A notes on its DEI web page. “At Chick-fil-A, Inc., our commitment is to approach this work with intention and humility, always believing the best in one another and striving for common ground.”

It’s unclear why McReynolds is getting attention from some conservatives now. The restaurant chain declined to comment about the so-called controversy and would not make McReynolds available for an interview.


Chick-fil-A has long been conservative

Chick-fil-A is notoriously conservative. Its restaurants are closed on Sunday for religious reasons and it has donated to anti-LGBTQ organizations in the past (a decision that it reversed in 2019). In 2012, former Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy spoke out against America’s legalization of same-s3x marriage, which sparked boycotts from the left.

The company has deep Christian roots. Its DEI page on Chick-fil-A’s website includes references to God, writing the company’s purpose is to “glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A.”


It’s not just Chick-fil-A

It’s unclear how whether boycott efforts have been successful. Chick-fil-A is privately held and does not routinely announce sales data.

Still, it joins a list of companies, including Target (TGT) and Anheuser-Bush’s Bud Light, that are dealing with conservative backlash for what some view as “woke” marketing.

Bud Light sponsored a social media post with tr@ns personality Dylan Mulvaney, in which she showed off a custom can that featured her likeness. That set off a firestorm on right-wing channels, and Bud Light’s sales have fallen sharply, sinking 25% in May compared to the year prior, according to Beer Business Daily, an influential industry newsletter.

Last week, Target was targeted with homophobic attacks for selling pride merchandise, which it has done for several years. The campaign became hostile, with threats levied against Target employees and instances of damaged products and displays in stores. In the end, Target opted to protect employee safety by removing certain items that it said caused the most “volatile” reaction from opponents.

Hurting brands’ sales and reputations was the stated goal of the campaign: “The goal is to make ‘pride’ toxic for brands,” said right-wing commentator Matt Walsh on Twitter. “If they decide to shove this garbage in our face, they should know that they’ll pay a price. It won’t be worth whatever they think they’ll gain.”

But Target’s response angered LGBTQ advocates and led to criticism that it was caving to extreme elements of American society. These campaigns also come amid a record number of anti-LGBT bills introduced in statehouses this year and escalating political attacks on tr@nsgender people by leading Republican candidates for president.


↪ source


The cancel culture right strikes again.

Ymmot said 🔗 The cancel culture right strikes again.

I wonder who they got the idea from?

Y’all are getting a megadose of your own medicine.

There goes those folks that hate cancel culture again.....

Crispy Beast said 🔗 I wonder who they got the idea from? Y’all are getting a megadose of your own medicine.

Stop it. The right has always been about canceling sh1t they didn't like. This isn't some new phenomenon.

DaQCKing said 🔗 There goes those folks that hate cancel culture again.....

Yeah, the projection party.

Crispy Beast said 🔗 I wonder who they got the idea from? Y’all are getting a megadose of your own medicine.

The right has always been the cancel culture party, they just got mad when lefties started doing it. The right loves playing the white victimhood role. You act like the right's misguided white anger somehow affects me. It doesn't.

Imagine having phobia of other homophobes

“You don’t hate enough you’re woke” wtf

Imagine making your decision on what to eat for lunch and your first thought is, ok let me think, who's not "woke"?

The fu#k happened to liking the food or shopping at a store you like? Right wingers are the biggest puss1es ever

DaQCKing said 🔗 Stop it. The right has always been about canceling sh1t they didn't like. This isn't some new phenomenon.

Nonsense. Liberals and progressives have made themselves the moderators of society deciding what is and isn’t problematic and trying to ruin people’s lives for sh1t they tweeted or said a decade ago.

An athlete wins a championship or gets drafted into the NFL or NBA, and progressives will go searching for incriminating tweets they made as a 14 year old.

Crispy Beast said 🔗 Nonsense. Liberals and progressives have made themselves the moderators of society deciding what is and isn’t problematic and trying to ruin people’s lives for sh1t they tweeted or said a decade ago. An athlete wins a championship or gets drafted into the NFL or NBA, and progressives will go searching for incriminating tweets they made as a 14 year old.

n1gga this sh1t goes back before the internet was even a thing. The right had never accepted anything that didn't fit into their bubble.

It’s crazy how they will protest sh1t that don’t do anything versus actual helpful sh1t like Medicare and higher wages.

DaQCKing said 🔗 n1gga this sh1t goes back before the internet was even a thing. The right had never accepted anything that didn't fit into their bubble.

His mind is gonna be blown when he learns what conservatism means.

The companies with the biggest market cap are "woke" lol. AAPL & MSFT.

Dummies just love catchphrases.

Big Gurthy said 🔗 It’s crazy how they will protest sh1t that don’t do anything versus actual helpful sh1t like Medicare and higher wages.

You're talking about people who vote against affordable healthcare and love when the government makes private healthcare more expensive and worship privatization.

Full Clip said 🔗 Imagine making your decision on what to eat for lunch and your first thought is, ok let me think, who's not "woke"? The fu#k happened to liking the food or shopping at a store you like? Right wingers are the biggest puss1es ever

Some n1gga on here found out Da Baby actually wore a diaper and stopped listening to his music altogether

DaQCKing said 🔗 Stop it. The right has always been about canceling sh1t they didn't like. This isn't some new phenomenon.

Bro they cancelled AMERICA and made The Confederacy.
it's in their heritage.

ahonui06 said 🔗 The companies with the biggest market cap are "woke" lol. AAPL & MSFT. Dummies just love catchphrases.

Conservatives boycott everything and haven't bankrupt not one company.

They point to normal market fluctuations and claim a W because they know they don't actually have any smoke.

Crispy Beast said 🔗 I wonder who they got the idea from? Y’all are getting a megadose of your own medicine.

You sound idiotic right now. Y'all? They cancelling one of their own...most people voting left dont give 2 fu#ks about no chik fil a. Them "Y'all" peoples you hurting...

The party of “values” and Christianity hates diversity, surprise surprise, if you can’t even eat a damn chicken sandwich without worrying about this stupid sh1t you got issues

Everytime I ride past a chik fila it's always lines of cars wrapped around that bi#ch.

Nobody give a fu#k about none that goofy a$s sh1t off twitter.

Still2Highh said 🔗 Everytime I ride past a chik fila it's always lines of cars wrapped around that bi#ch. Nobody give a fu#k about none that goofy a$s sh1t off twitter.

Are you saying these Boxden GOP n1ggas are capping?

Crispy Beast said 🔗 I wonder who they got the idea from? Y’all are getting a megadose of your own medicine.

Conservatives stay crying about some stupid sh1t, boycotting products then complaining about “cancel culture”.

Chick fila ain't going nowhere just like bud & miller

As long as those nuggets taste amazing, Chik-fil-a can do almost anything they want and I won’t care…

Does becoming “woke” mean that they’ll be open on Sunday?