To: Leo Berenstain
Tell the Berenstain Bears to ditch the anti-gay Chick-fil-A
Berenstain Bears: Cut ties with Chick-fil-A as long as it continues to support anti-gay organizations.
Why is this important?
“Guilty as charged.”
Those were Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy’s words when the Baptist Press asked about his company's financial backing of anti-gay organizations that promote the “traditional family.” For Chick-fil-A, this means funneling millions of dollars in corporate profits to vehemently anti-gay groups, including ones that practice “gay-to-straight” conversion therapy and hate groups that advocate for the criminalization of homosexual behavior.
In response, on Friday night, the Jim Henson company severed ties with Chick-fil-A, and instead will be donating money to GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
Now, Chick-fil-A is planning to partner with the Berenstain Bears for its next promotion, using the beloved bear family as a prize package for its kids' meals. Losing business partners is a huge blow to the multi-billion dollar fast-food giant, and the strongest lesson possible to the company that its anti-gay stance is out of touch with modern values. SumOfUs.org members have stood strong on gay rights issues in the past, and this time, to ensure the Berenstain’s – and Chick-fil-A – get the message, we’re putting this campaign up on SignOn to bring as much pressure to bear as we can against corporate homophobia.
Sign our petition to the Berenstain Bears, then share it with your friends.
Chick-fil-A has a long history of handing out money to groups like Exodus International, which specializes in “gay conversion therapy,” a process that views homosexuality as a mental disorder which needs to be “cured.” In addition, Chick-fil-A supports the Family Research Council, which advocates for the criminalization of homosexuality and has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Chick-fil-A is fast becoming a national symbol for supporters of homophobia. Next Wednesday, August 1st, Chick-fil-A’s anti-gay supporter Mike Huckabee is organizing National Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day to support the company’s culture of homophobia. Two days later, on August 3rd, activists are organizing National Same Sex Kiss Day at Chick-fil-A to challenge Chick-fil-A's definition of a "real" family.
Chick-fil-A has already received a lot of criticism, but the Muppets cutting ties with Chick-fil-A has been the company’s biggest blow yet. Fast food toy partnerships are multi-million dollar endeavors, with companies using them as the centerpiece of huge advertising campaigns to their target audience of young children. Getting The Berenstain Bears to follow the Muppets out the door will add more fuel to a massive media firestorm and show Chick-fil-A that supporting anti-gay groups is definitely bad for business.
SumOfUs.org members have supported companies in the past for standing up for the LGBT community in the face of homophobic opposition, getting hundreds of thousands of people to sign thank you cards to Starbucks and JCPenney. Now we hope you’ll join us as we take on a company that funds some of the worst anti-gay groups in the US.
Thank you for all that you do,
Claiborne, with SumOfUs.org
Those were Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy’s words when the Baptist Press asked about his company's financial backing of anti-gay organizations that promote the “traditional family.” For Chick-fil-A, this means funneling millions of dollars in corporate profits to vehemently anti-gay groups, including ones that practice “gay-to-straight” conversion therapy and hate groups that advocate for the criminalization of homosexual behavior.
In response, on Friday night, the Jim Henson company severed ties with Chick-fil-A, and instead will be donating money to GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
Now, Chick-fil-A is planning to partner with the Berenstain Bears for its next promotion, using the beloved bear family as a prize package for its kids' meals. Losing business partners is a huge blow to the multi-billion dollar fast-food giant, and the strongest lesson possible to the company that its anti-gay stance is out of touch with modern values. SumOfUs.org members have stood strong on gay rights issues in the past, and this time, to ensure the Berenstain’s – and Chick-fil-A – get the message, we’re putting this campaign up on SignOn to bring as much pressure to bear as we can against corporate homophobia.
Sign our petition to the Berenstain Bears, then share it with your friends.
Chick-fil-A has a long history of handing out money to groups like Exodus International, which specializes in “gay conversion therapy,” a process that views homosexuality as a mental disorder which needs to be “cured.” In addition, Chick-fil-A supports the Family Research Council, which advocates for the criminalization of homosexuality and has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Chick-fil-A is fast becoming a national symbol for supporters of homophobia. Next Wednesday, August 1st, Chick-fil-A’s anti-gay supporter Mike Huckabee is organizing National Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day to support the company’s culture of homophobia. Two days later, on August 3rd, activists are organizing National Same Sex Kiss Day at Chick-fil-A to challenge Chick-fil-A's definition of a "real" family.
Chick-fil-A has already received a lot of criticism, but the Muppets cutting ties with Chick-fil-A has been the company’s biggest blow yet. Fast food toy partnerships are multi-million dollar endeavors, with companies using them as the centerpiece of huge advertising campaigns to their target audience of young children. Getting The Berenstain Bears to follow the Muppets out the door will add more fuel to a massive media firestorm and show Chick-fil-A that supporting anti-gay groups is definitely bad for business.
SumOfUs.org members have supported companies in the past for standing up for the LGBT community in the face of homophobic opposition, getting hundreds of thousands of people to sign thank you cards to Starbucks and JCPenney. Now we hope you’ll join us as we take on a company that funds some of the worst anti-gay groups in the US.
Thank you for all that you do,
Claiborne, with SumOfUs.org