Chick-fil-A is once again at the center of the culture wars, but this time, the so-called controversy began with something surprisingly simple: joy.
Earlier this month, a Chick-fil-A franchise in Orem shared a Facebook post congratulating two men, Dougie and Toby, on their recent wedding. The post was straightforward, enthusiastic, and—most shocking of all—kind.
“Congratulations to the happy couple!” the message read, celebrating their marriage without caveats, disclaimers, or coded language.
And contrary to claims that this moment sent customers into a tailspin, the actual response was overwhelmingly positive.
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The Internet Reacts: Love Wins (and So Do the Comments)
Scroll through the comments on the post and you won’t find outrage—you’ll find celebration. Support poured in quickly, with users cheering on the couple and praising the franchise for being openly affirming.
“We stan an ally. Okay Chick-fil-A in Chick-fil-A Orem,” one commenter wrote, perfectly capturing the tone of approval.
“Congratulations!! This is fabulous!! Wishing you all the best!!” added another.
A third comment summed it up sweetly and sincerely:
“Congratulations!!!! You both are very beautiful and I wish you a lifetime of love, health and happiness together.”
Hardly the backlash one might expect from the breathless headlines that followed.
Enter the Usual Suspects
While everyday customers were busy spreading love, the Family Research Council was busy doing… the opposite. The anti-LGBTQ+ organization dedicated an entire blog post to criticizing Chick-fil-A for allowing the franchise’s celebratory message to exist at all.
The piece accused the company of “quietly still condoning a message that is radically at odds with the biblical values that most people associate them with — including same-sex marriage.” The article, dramatically titled “Chick-fil-A Waffles on Wokeness with Same-Sex Marriage Post and DEI Focus,” framed the post as a shocking betrayal of faith-driven consumers.
“To the shock of fans,” the article claimed.
Which fans, exactly, remains unclear.
Because judging by the actual Facebook thread, the only people shocked appear to be those who went looking for something to be offended by. One does have to wonder what version of the post the writer was reacting to, because it certainly wasn’t the one filled with congratulations, heart emojis, and goodwill.
Chick-fil-A Corporate Doesn’t Budge
The outrage campaign didn’t stop at blog posts. Conservative critics reportedly attempted to pressure Chick-fil-A’s corporate office into denouncing the Orem franchise. That effort went nowhere.
Instead, Chick-fil-A reiterated its existing stance: the company welcomes everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, and continues to embed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into its business practices.
That response alone was enough to reignite long-simmering tensions between the brand and conservative activists who once considered Chick-fil-A a cultural ally.
A Complicated History, a Changing Present
It’s no secret that Chick-fil-A has a fraught history with LGBTQ+ communities. Public reporting in the early 2010s revealed donations to organizations like Family Research Council and Exodus International, prompting widespread boycotts and protests. Then-CEO Dan Cathy even acknowledged the company’s opposition to marriage equality at the time.
But years—and markets—change. As Chick-fil-A has expanded nationally and internationally, it has worked to distance itself from overtly anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Donations to discriminatory organizations reportedly ended by 2017, and recent years have seen the company focus more publicly on inclusion.
Ironically, that evolution has now made Chick-fil-A a target from the opposite side of the culture war. Prominent conservatives have accused the chain of becoming too “woke,” while LGBTQ+ customers cautiously note the shift with guarded optimism.
When Inclusion Becomes the Scandal
What makes this moment noteworthy isn’t just that a Chick-fil-A franchise congratulated a gay couple—it’s that such a basic act of decency still sparks organized backlash. The idea that a wedding congratulations post could be labeled controversial says far more about the critics than the company.
And yet, the loudest voices in this debate don’t seem to belong to customers at all. They belong to advocacy groups determined to frame acceptance as betrayal, even when the public response tells a very different story.
In Orem, Utah, a same-sex couple got married. A local Chick-fil-A celebrated them. The internet cheered. And somewhere else entirely, outrage was manufactured.
If that’s what “waffling on wokeness” looks like, then maybe it’s time we admit the truth: the culture has already moved on. And this time, the chick really did come through.
REFERENCE: Washington Stand