A Chick-fil-A franchise in Utah is facing backlash from conservative Christian groups after publicly celebrating a gay couple’s marriage. At the start of December, Chick-fil-A Orem Plaza took to Facebook to congratulate diners Dougie and Toby on their wedding. Alongside photos of the couple embracing, the restaurant wrote: “CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HAPPY COUPLE! Dougie & Toby recently got married and we are so beyond happy for them!” Comments on the post were limited, and many simply offered congratulations.
But the message sparked outrage from right-wing activists. One commenter wrote, “This is not a marriage.” The anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Family Research Council devoted an entire blog post to criticizing the chain, claiming it is “quietly still condoning a message that is radically at odds with the biblical values that most people associate them with — including same-sex marriage.”
The group accused Chick-fil-A of abandoning its Christian identity, calling it a source of “legitimate hurt and disappointment.” The backlash comes as Chick-fil-A continues efforts to repair its long-standing anti-LGBTQ+ reputation — a process that, for many queer Americans, remains unfinished.
