American fast-food chain Chick-fil-A has announced plans to open a new restaurant in Belfast, marking its first venture into Northern Ireland. The announcement has been met with mixed reactions, largely due to the company’s controversial history of donations to organisations with anti-LGBTQ+ ties.

Over the years, Chick-fil-A has faced widespread criticism and boycotts for its financial contributions to groups that promote conservative Christian values and oppose LGBTQ+ rights.

In 2009 alone, Chick-fil-A donated over $1.7 million to several such organisations. The largest contribution, $994,199, went to the Marriage & Family Legacy Fund, a group advocating for traditional marriage. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which enforces a “sexual purity” policy that condemns “homosexual acts,” received $480,000. Another $240,000 was given to the National Christian Foundation, while Focus on the Family, known for its opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, received $12,500.

Controversy around the company’s donations continued into the following years. In 2017, the Chick-fil-A Foundation donated $1.8 million to three organisations with anti-LGBTQ+ stances. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes received the bulk of the funding, $1,653,416, allowing it to continue its policy of banning “homosexual acts”.

Another $150,000 went to the Salvation Army, an organisation with a complicated history regarding its stance on LGBTQ+ issues. Additionally, $6,000 was donated to the Paul Anderson Youth Home, a residential facility for troubled boys that teaches that homosexuality is wrong and describes same-sex marriage as a “rage against Jesus Christ and his values”.

Despite the backlash, the company’s latest move into Northern Ireland has been welcomed by some, including DUP MLA and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.

Chick-fil-A to open in Northern Ireland! 😀

It was great to engage with the company and have the confirmation this morning that Northern Ireland is part of the first wave of UK restaurants 🍗🐔 pic.twitter.com/4GO4YYAcAm

— Emma Little-Pengelly BL (@little_pengelly) September 25, 2024

Chick-fil-A, which currently operates over 3,000 restaurants across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, is opening in Belfast as part of a broader strategy to enter the UK and Northern Irish markets. The chain previously revealed plans to invest over $100 million over the next 10 years as part of its UK expansion efforts, though the exact location of the Belfast restaurant has yet to be confirmed.

The company’s presence in the Northern Irish capital is likely to spark renewed debates about its past donations and stance on LGBTQ+ rights, as it continues its efforts to grow outside the US.