(UnitedVoice.com) – Chick-fil-A is one of the most beloved fast-food restaurant chains in the country. The company was founded by a Conservative Christian in Georgia in 1967. The chain has always held strong to its religious beliefs, even keeping its restaurants closed on Sundays despite the fact that they lose money doing so. However, some of the locations have opened on a Sunday to help when their community needs it. For example, after the Pulse shooting in Orlando, Florida, two restaurants opened to feed first responders and volunteers.
The company’s penchant for helping Americans and adherence to their beliefs has made them a conservative favorite. But recently, a Twitter user caused an uproar when he posted old information about the fast food joint and pretended it was new.
Tweet Causes Backlash
On May 29, political strategist Joey Mannarino claimed Chick-fil-A “just hired” a vice president to oversee its diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda. He went on to say the news was “very bad.” In a follow-up tweet, the conservative shared a link to the company’s DEI page and wrote a slur targeting transgender people.
In subsequent tweets on May 30, Mannarino opined that Chick-fil-A’s decision to hire a DEI vice president means that the corporate infrastructure will “become way less white, way less male, and way less straight.” The company’s DEI VP, Erick McReynolds, is black. The conservative went on to say the diversity would make the company worth less money and the food not taste as good.
Twitter users who saw the tweet began calling for a boycott of the restaurant chain for allegedly going woke.
Not What It Seems
Fact-checkers immediately began calling Mannarino out for his tweet. It turns out the DEI page on Chick-fil-A’s website has been there since 2020, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. McReynolds has been in the DEI vice president position since 2021. Prior to that, he was the executive director of DEI from July 2020 to November 2021.
Chick-fil-A is not commenting on the latest controversy. However, its DEI webpage says the company is committed to providing a harassment-free workplace. It also says the company’s corporate purpose is “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to [them]. To have a positive influence on all who come into contact” with the company. To that end, the restaurant chain has committed to making she there is an understanding and mutual respect everywhere that they do business.
Mannarino held an informal poll on his Twitter account, and more than half of respondents said they don’t intend to boycott the company.
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