The sweet taste of chicken

mm mm good ...well, maybe.

After weeks of negotiations with Chicago city Alderman Joe Moreno, fast-food restaurant Chick-fil-A agreed to take “a much closer look” at which groups receive donations from the WinShape Foundation, a non-profit created by CEO Dan Cathy’s family and funded almost entirely by the Atlanta-based company.

“The WinShape Foundations is now taking a much closer look at the organizations it considers helping, and in that process will remain true to its stated philosophy of not supporting organizations with political agendas,” Chick-fil-A’s senior director of real estate said in a letter to Moreno.

Between 2008 and 2010, the WinShape Foundation gave $3.2 million to groups that advocate against same-sex marriage, according to the group’s tax reports. That included $2,000 to the Family Research Council, which was designated as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2010, and $2,500 to the Alliance Defense Fund, which supported California’s Proposition 8 to outlaw gay marriage.

- Paraphrased from Amy Bingham, ABC News Blog

Chick-fil-A's apparent decision to stop giving money to anti-gay groups and not engage in social or political debates has sparked another heated discussion -- and new backlash -- on its Facebook page from those who say the company has "caved in."

- USA Today

Following Cathy’s remarks an incensed Moreno declared that he would block construction of a new Chick-fil-A restaurant in his ward. However, following their assurance that they would look into their donations, a mollified Moreno said that the company was making real progress in its efforts to address “the very legitimate concerns of the LGBT community regarding Chick-fil-A.”

- JD Journal

The Civil Rights Agenda, an Illinois advocacy group focused on sexual orientation issues, says a letter from a Chick-fil-A executive to a Chicago alderman indicates the Georgia-based fast-food chain is backing off its financial support for political opponents of gay marriage.

- Jim Galloway, Political Insider, Atlanta Journal Constitution

Despite these reports, Dave Tombers at the christian ultraright WND Faith is proclaiming that "“Gay” media organizations and the mainstream press" have created a "Fairytale" and to him  "it appears the facts are that the company’s anti-discrimination policy remains just as it was months ago – before the controversy over owner Dan Cathy’s Christian beliefs erupted – and its donations appear to have had no new directive applied. The company is not allowing any interviews, but the anti-discrimination policy it proclaims remains the same as it was months ago."

Indeed, Andrew Belonsky writes for Towleroad that apparently "CEO Dan Cathy didn't get the memo. The Advocate reports that Cathy on Tuesday tweeted a picture in support of the 2012 WinShape Ride for the Family, a ride aimed at fighting same-sex marriage."

Homework:

http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/family-research-council