Case in Support of Homophobic Chick Fil A Thrown Out of Court

Over the past five years, new Chick Fil A locations have become contentious endeavors. After the franchise's antigay donations became public knowledge, new openings have been contested, and even rejected. International cities like Toronto, baseball teams, and even colleges have ousted the eatery. In San Jose, a city council advised a pending location to hire LGBTQ+ employees and decorated the surrounding area with pride flags. But this resistance has not come without a fight.

In 2019, the City Council of San Antonio announced that it would not be bringing Chick-fil-A into the San Antonio International Airport.

"With this decision, the City Council reaffirmed the work our city has done to become a champion of equality and inclusion,"Councilmember Roberto Trevino said in a statement. The original accepted plans for the airport's concessions included Chick-Fil-A. "San Antonio is a city full of compassion, and we do not have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior."

A group then sued the city months later, according to the Associated Press saying that the decision was in conflict with the "Save Chick-fil-A" law. That law, which was passed seven months after the ban, passed within the Senate committee without public notice and effectively shields discriminatory business practices. Thought it went into effects months after the Chick-fil-A ban was announced, conservatives pursued a lawsuit on the grounds that the ban is ongoing.

While a lower court sided with conservatives, Associated Press reports that the Fourth Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the city citing "governmental immunity."

"The plaintiffs tried to use the court to advance a political agenda, and we're glad to see this matter put to rest," the city's attorney Andy Segovia said in a statement.

Another appeal is expected.

RELATED | Franklin Graham Says Chick-fil-A Won't Stop Anti-LGBTQ+ Donations