© Chicago Tribune
Conservatives on Twitter have turned their fire on restaurant franchise Chick-fil-A after the company announced the hiring of a new vice president dedicated to bringing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts to the traditionally conservative chicken sandwich brand.
Attention was drawn to a new posting on Chick-fil-A's website featuring Erick McReynolds, the new Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, who is quoted as saying the company is "committed to ensuring mutual respect, understanding, and dignity everywhere we do business." A tweet highlighting his comments also shows a separate website page describing the company's "Better At Together" initiative, which states, "when we combine our unique backgrounds and experiences with a culture of belonging, we can strengthen the quality of care we deliver."
Another conservative Twitter user unearthed video of former Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy talking about an incident involving a parishioner in Texas who was so concerned about racism in his community that he made the effort to shine the shoes of a fellow Black parishioner. Cathy then stood up and walked over to a Black attendee sitting across from him to demonstrate the same act of humility. Outrage to the clip was swift.
The Atlanta-based chain is now headed by Cathy's son, Andrew Truett Cathy, who continues to direct the company's political action committee to donate almost exclusively to Republican candidates and conservative causes. Chick-fil-A famously closes its doors on Sunday, one of the few nationwide companies to honor the traditional day of rest. Despite this, the 'conservative' company rakes in $9 billion annually and is
among the 10 most profitable restaurant chains in the United States.
In recent months, conservatives and Republican candidates have expressed outrage at companies they say are going "woke" with messages geared at inclusivity at the expense of their loyal customers.
Bud Light has withered months of criticism and heavy profit losses over its partnership with a transgender social media influencer. Other companies like
Target and
Kohl's have been in the crosshairs for selling LGBTQ-themed gear ahead of Pride Month, which takes place in June.
Comment: ESG stands for "Environmental, Social, Governance" and measures just how woke a corporation's policies are. A big chunk of the rating is based on having a woke member or two installed on the board of the corporation and employing a DEI officer. Getting kicked out of the S&P 500 ESG index is a big deal, as the many ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds intended to mirror the performance of a given index and in which many investors participate).
On top of that is added the execrable Corporate Equality Index (CEI) scores which are also supposed to measure a corporation's wokeness level:
A company can receive up to 100 points in the CEI rating system. Here's how those points are earned.
1. Workforce Protections (5 points possible)
- Policy includes sexual orientation and gender identity/gender identity or expression for all operations (5)
2. Inclusive Benefits (50 points possible)
To secure full credit for benefits criteria, each benefit must be available to all benefits-eligible U.S. employees. In areas where more than one health insurance plan is available, at least one inclusive plan must be available.
- Equivalency in same- and different-sex spousal medical and soft benefits (No points awarded)
- Equivalency in same- and different-sex domestic partner medical and soft benefits (10)
- Equivalency in spousal and domestic partner family formation benefits regardless of sex. (10)
- Equal health coverage for transgender individuals without exclusion for medically necessary care (25)
- LGBTQ+ Benefits Guide (5)
3. Supporting an Inclusive Culture (25 points possible)
a. Four LGBTQ+ Internal Training and Accountability Efforts (5)
Businesses must demonstrate a firm-wide, sustained and accountable commitment to diversity and cultural competency, including at least four of the following elements:
- New hire training clearly states that the nondiscrimination policy includes gender identity and sexual orientation and provides definitions or scenarios illustrating the policy for each
- Supervisors undergo training that includes gender identity and sexual orientation as discrete topics (may be part of a broader training), and provides definitions or scenarios illustrating the policy for each
- Integration of gender identity and sexual orientation in professional development, skills-based or other leadership training that includes elements of diversity and/or cultural competency
- Integration of intersectionality in professional development, skills-based, or other training (required)
- Senior management/executive performance measures include LGBTQ diversity metrics
b. One LGBTQ+ Data Collection Effort (5)
- Anonymous employee engagement or climate surveys conducted on an annual or biennial basis allow employees the option to identify as LGBTQ+
- Data collection forms that include employee race, ethnicity, gender, military and disability status — typically recorded as part of employee records — include optional questions on sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Board (or other governing body) member demographic data collection include the option for individuals to report their sexual orientation and gender identity or self-identity as LGBTQ+
c. Transgender Inclusion Best Practices (5)
- Gender transition guidelines with supportive restroom, dress code and documentation guidance
- Implementation of the at least one (1) of the following policies or practices
- Trans-inclusive restroom/facilities policy
- Gender-neutral dress code
- Policies/procedures that allow for optional sharing of gender pronouns
d. Employee Group -OR- Diversity Council (10)
4. Corporate Social Responsibility (20 points possible)
a. Five Distinct Efforts of Outreach or Engagement to Broader LGBTQ+ Community (15)
Businesses must demonstrate ongoing LGBTQ+ specific engagement that extends across the firm, including at least five of the following:
- LGBTQ employee recruitment efforts with demonstrated reach of LGBTQ+ applicants (required documentation may include a short summary of the event or an estimation of the number of candidates reached)
- Supplier diversity program with demonstrated effort to include certified LGBTQ+ suppliers
- Marketing or advertising to LGBTQ consumers (e.g.: advertising with LGBTQ+ content, advertising in LGBTQ media or sponsoring LGBTQ organizations and events)
- Philanthropic support of at least one LGBTQ+ organization or event (e.g.: financial, in kind or pro bono support)
- Demonstrated public support for LGBTQ+ equality under the law through local, state or federal legislation or initiatives
b. LGBTQ+ Corporate Social Responsibility
Contractor/supplier non-discrimination standards AND Philanthropic Giving Guidelines (5)
4. Responsible citizenship (-25)
Employers will have 25 points deducted from their score for a large-scale official or public anti-LGBTQ blemish on their recent records. Scores on this criterion are based on information that has come to HRC's attention related to topics including but not limited to: undue influence by a significant shareholder calculated to undermine a business's employment policies or practices related to its LGBTQ employees; directing corporate charitable contributions to organizations whose primary mission includes advocacy against LGBTQ equality; opposing shareholder resolutions reasonably aimed at encouraging the adoption of inclusive workplace policies; revoking inclusive LGBTQ policies or practices; or engaging in proven practices that are contrary to the business's written LGBTQ employment policies.
Chick-fil-A is dependent, like nearly every major corporation, on its relationship with investment institutions. A low ESG and/or CEI score currently can damage or completely cut off those services. It's social engineering by blackmail, and damn what the customers might think.
Frankly, I couldn't care less if every.single.big.corporation folds because they sold their souls and didn't consider the reckoning. As a proponent of de-centralization, I always wondered how that might happen since the trend is consolidation and centralization. Well, it looks like nature, human-nature in this case, has found a way. Boycott the big corps(es) and support the little guys - you know, your neighbors. It's better for society; it humanizes commerce rather than simply monetizing everything.