Fast-food chain Chick-fil-A announced it will no longer donate to two organizations that don’t support the LGBTQ community Nov. 18. 

The speculation that Chick-fil-A doesn’t support the LGBTQ community began when CEO Dan Cathy spoke out against gay marriage.

Representatives from the food-chain denied the claims and said Chick-fil-A’s donations are targeted toward children’s programs.

The chain will only donate to specific charities. Anti-LGBTQ organizations Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes are not on the list.

The Salvation Army admitted it joined other religious organizations on issues like religious liberty and the traditional definition of marriage.

FCA’s employee application insures potential employees that heterosexual sex outside of marriage and any homosexual act is an alternative lifestyle unacceptable to God. FCA states on its website that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.

Chick-fil-A’s non-profit foundation donated $1.65 million to the FCA and $115,000 to The Salvation Army in 2018.

The fast-food chain received harsh criticism from Christians who denounced Chick-fil-A for violating its corporal purpose.

Since it first opened in 1967, Chick-fil-A’s purpose was to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to them and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with the food-chain.

The controversial decision caused Chick-fil-A to lose a location at the airport in Buffalo, New York. It created a dispute in Texas when San Antonio City Council members blocked a location there.

There were protests at locations in California and Toronto.

A landlord in the United Kingdom said the chain’s test location there will not get a new lease after six months because of the decision.

Chick-fil-A Foundation’s donations will go to faith-based and non-faith-based charities. The foundation will continue to provide scholarships for employees and engage in community revitalization efforts. There are plans to provide about $32 million in cash gifts in 2020.

Chick-fil-A announced a $9 million commitment to projects that will improve education and fight homelessness and hunger. Organizations like Junior Achievement USA and Covenant House International, along with local food banks, will receive donations. 

Junior Achievement USA is one of the U.S.’s largest organizations that strive to give young people the knowledge and skills they need to economically succeed. 

JA focuses on work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. 

Covenant House is a non-profit organization that provides housing and support for youth facing homelessness. The organization has supporters like Delta Airlines and JP Morgan Chase. 

Chick-fil-A will donate $25,000 to a local food bank at the opening of each new restaurant. The food-chain will support more than 120 communities.

Despite the controversy, Chick-fil-A continues to grow. The food-chain doubled in size since 2013 and is now the third-largest restaurant chain in the U.S. behind McDonald’s and Starbucks.

Chick-fil-A’s decision to stop giving donations to anti-LGBTQ organizations is the right step forward to opening up a conversation about inclusivity. 

I hope this encourages people who own small businesses to become more open-minded and support a community that is constantly excluded first and considered last. 

Chick-fil-A is investing in a greater future and not a bitter past. 

Jasmine Edmonson is a 21-year-old Mass Communication major from Denham Springs, Louisiana.