Members of the LGBT community and their allies will protest at the opening of the new San Jose Chick-fil-A on Thursday, August 23rd at 6:00PM. Chick-fil-A’s charitable arm, the WinShape Foundation, has given at least $5 million since 2003 to anti-gay organizations, including almost $2 million in 2010 alone.  These donations help fund groups that oppose the freedom to marry for all Americans, work to deny LGBTIQ people’s civil rights, support so-called “ex-gay” therapy, and stand in the way of protections for LGBTIQ youth.    The donations also helped fund lobbying Congress not to oppose a bill in Uganda that would institute the death penalty for lesbian and gay people.

WHEN:    Thursday, August 23rd, 6:00-8:00PM
WHERE:  San Jose First Street Chick-Fil-A
53 Headquarters Drive
San Jose, CA 95134

“Thursday, we will be standing up as proud LGBTIQ people against the harm that Chick-fil-A is causing us and our families,” said Billy Bradford of Marriage Equality USA and GetEQUAL.  “We will protest at the opening of the new restaurant in San Jose to show that the millions of dollars that Chick-fil-A’s WinShape Foundation spends on anti-gay causes hurts real people.  This protest is not about the Chick-fil-A’s President’s personal opinions; it’s about the company’s profits going to fund organizations that actively make the lives of LGBTIQ people much more difficult.”

Chick-fil-A has a “0” rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, which means the company offers no protections or benefits for its LGBT employees and has no diversity training regarding LGBTIQ people.

Members of the community are welcome to attend. More information here: www.facebook.com/#!/events/255710277878764/