After Conservatives Demand Boycott Chick-Fil-A, Company Stands By Its DEI Policies

Chick-fil-A has joined the list of “woke” companies subject to right-wing outcry after the recent discovery that the restaurant chain has a vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We have a problem.

Chick-Fil-A just hired a VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

This is bad. Very bad.

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I don’t want to have to boycott.

Are we going to have to boycott?

— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) May 30, 2023

Chick-fil-A’s Vice President of DEI Erick McReynolds has held the position for three years, but the DEI page featuring him has only surfaced by conservative social media users within the past few weeks.

“Chick-fil-A, Inc.’s commitment to being Better at Together means embedding Diversity, Equity [and] Inclusion in everything we do,” a bolded line on the chain’s DEI page reads.

Some have called for a boycott in response, claiming the company has clearly “gone woke.”

Chick-fil-A has gone woke. https://t.co/e8DuZPSimS

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) May 30, 2023

It’s not dissimilar from the conservative backlash for socially inclusive marketing choices Bud Light and Target are still facing. Bud Light’s sales have sunk 25% in May compared to the year prior after sponsoring a social media post with TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney, who identifies as a transgender woman. Target faced boycotts and threats levied against its employees for selling pride merchandise — which it has been doing for years prior.

But right-wing calls for a boycott against Chick-fil-A are unusual considering the company is well known for its conservative views. The restaurant chain is famously closed on Sunday for religious reasons and has an extensive history of donating to anti-LGBT+ organizations.

It’s unclear whether the boycott efforts against Chick-fil-A have seen any success.