Chick-fil-A defended its donations to Christian groups which have been accused of being hostile to the LGBT community.
The two organizations the Chick-fil-A Foundation has been criticized for supporting are The Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Both groups support the traditional view of marriage and reportedly exclude LGBT individuals from leadership positions, according to Business Insider.
The Salvation Army’s website states that it does not discriminate against people who identify as LGBT in their hiring practices or in who they serve. Further, it does provide marriage benefits to same-sex couples.
“Our mission is to the preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human need in His name without discrimination,” the website reads.
Rodney Bullard — executive director of the Chick-fil-A Foundation and Chick-fil-A’s vice president of corporate social responsibility — told Business Insider its contributions to The Salvation Army and Fellowship of Christian Athletes are directed at helping young people.
“The calling for us is to ensure that we are relevant and impactful in the community, and that we’re helping children and that we’re helping them to be everything that they can be,” Bullard said.