Burger King is hoping to set its new chicken sandwich apart from those of a well-established competitor with a timely initiative.
The Florida-based restaurant chain last week unveiled the ChKing , featuring a breaded chicken fillet on a potato bun and served with pickles and a signature sauce. The sandwich is available in both standard and deluxe sizes, and patrons can also opt for a version with a spicy glaze.
The launch of the menu items coincided with the start of LGBTQ Pride Month , a point not lost on Burger King officials. The chain announced plans to donate 40 cents for every ChKing sandwich sold through June 30 to the Human Rights Campaign , the largest LGBTQ advocacy group in the United States.
The company stressed that the donations would be made even on Sundays, a less-than-subtle jab at Chick-fil-A , which is closed every Sunday.
Chick-fil-A, which is based in Georgia, has repeatedly faced backlash for supporting anti-LGBTQ causes for years. In 2012, CEO Dan Cathy stoked outrage when he expressed support for the biblical definition of the family unit in an interview . Past recipients of the chains contributions include the Family Research Council, an anti-abortion group, and the now-defunct Exodus International.
Since then, Chick-fil-A has taken steps to recover its image by pledging not to have a political or social agenda and by distancing itself from Cathys remarks. However, tax documents obtained by ThinkProgress in 2019 showed that the company had donated $1.8 million to organizations known to discriminate against LGBTQ people as recently as 2017.
Chick-fil-A did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
News of the ChKing campaign, however, comes as corporations worldwide are facing criticism for rainbow washing , or using Pride Month as a marketing tactic without making any tangible efforts to support queer people.
A Burger King spokesperson told USA Today that the company was simply hoping to uplift a community we love dearly and have proudly supported over the years. The statement did not mention Chick-fil-A by name.
We couldnt miss an opportunity to take action and help shine a light on the important conversation happening, the representative added.
Your move, Wendys.