Same sex couple Whitney Copeland and Skye Newkirk embrace outside a Chick-fil-A restaurant on Aug. 3, 2012 in Dallas.
It all started with a statement from Chick-fil-A president and COO Dan Cathy on The Ken Coleman Show: “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.’ I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about.” Chick-fil-A has long been known for its owner’s view on marriage, but the comment set off a series of protests and counterprotests — Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day was helmed by former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, while Same-Sex Kiss Day was supported by LGBT activists — that had everyone from citizens to mayors and even the Muppets picking sides. But while Cathy’s statement was enough to grab headlines and incite fierce debate over social media, the controversy also opened up criticism of the company’s nonprofit organization, the WinShape Foundation. A 2011 report from Equality Matters uncovered that WinShape, which is almost entirely financed by Chick-fil-A profits, had donated about $5 million to anti-gay organizations, including Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council and Exodus International, since 2003. The revelation led many people to question whether the company was able to separate its business operations from its owner’s beliefs. Cathy continues to insist that while the family supports traditional families, “we have no agenda against anyone.”