Chick-fil-A: A Corporate Position on Same-Sex Marriage

In the summer of 2012, Chick-fil-A President and COO Dan Cathy sparked controversy by sharing his biblical views on family and marriage with the Ken Coleman radio show and the Baptist Press. At one point, he asked for God’s mercy on a generation that holds “such a prideful, arrogant attitude” with “the audacity to define what marriage is all about.” Advocates of same-sex marriage responded with a boycott, which then drew reactions from supporters of Cathy and traditional marriage. This case study explores the fallout after a corporate leader publicly speaks his mind on a contentious social issue.