<P> In June and July 2012, Chick - fil - A's chief operating officer Dan T. Cathy made several public statements about same - sex marriage, saying that those who "have the audacity to define what marriage is about" were "inviting God's judgment on our nation". Several prominent politicians expressed disapproval . Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Chicago Alderman Proco "Joe" Moreno said they hoped to block franchise expansion into their areas . The proposed bans drew criticism from liberal pundits, legal experts, and the American Civil Liberties Union . The Jim Henson Company, which had a Pajanimals kids' meal toy licensing arrangement with Chick - fil - A, said it would cease its business relationship, and donate the payment to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation . Chick - fil - A stopped distributing the toys, claiming that unrelated safety concerns that had arisen prior to the controversy . Chick - fil - A released a statement on July 31, 2012, saying, "We are a restaurant company focused on food, service, and hospitality; our intent is to leave the policy debate over same - sex marriage to the government and political arena ." </P> <P> In response to the controversy, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee initiated a Chick - fil - A Appreciation Day movement to counter a boycott of Chick - fil - A launched by same - sex marriage activists . More than 600,000 people RSVPed on Facebook for Huckabee's appreciation event . On August 1, Chick - fil - A restaurants experienced a large show of public support across the nation with the company reporting record - breaking sales . A consulting firm estimated that the average Chick - fil - A restaurant had 29.9 percent more sales and 367 more customers than it did on a typical Wednesday . </P> <P> In September 2012, The Civil Rights Agenda (TCRA) announced that Chick - fil - A had "ceased donating to organizations that promote discrimination, specifically against LGBT civil rights ." Chick - fil - A officials did state in an internal document that they "will treat every person equally, regardless of sexual orientation ." In a letter from Chick - fil - A's Senior Director of Real Estate, the company states, "The WinShape Foundation 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 ." </P> <P> According to Chicago Alderman Proco "Joe" Moreno, Chick - fil - A has a statement of respect for all people regardless of sexual orientation in an internal document called Chick - fil - A: Who We Are . A document released by Chick - fil - A on September 20, 2012, does not mention any organizations opposed to same - sex marriage as being part of Chick - fil - A's donation base . WinShape Marriage will continue to be supported financially, with a stated focus on couple retreats to strengthen marriages . </P>

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