Cheeky Chicken! Burger King fires shots and side-eye at Chick-fil-A in spicy Pride Month promo

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The two food chains seem to be in direct opposition over LGBTQ+ rights.
The two food chains seem to be in direct opposition over LGBTQ+ rights.  © Collage: 123RF/Yuriy Kirsanov, 123RF/ricochet64 , & IMAGO / MediaPunch

Florida-based Burger King fired shots at Chick-fil-A this week through some bold social media posts.

The burger chain is known on the internet for its tongue-in-cheek marketing approach.

Now, it offers its own fried spicy chicken sandwich, the Ch'King, which is already in competition with its Chick-fil-A rival.

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Yet, the Home of the Whopper took the sucker punches further by announcing on Thursday that they've decided to donate to the Human Rights Campaign during June's Pride Month. Their support of the largest LBGTQ+ activist society in the country takes one more jab at their opponent.

The restaurant chain tweeted that it will donate 40 cents for every Ch'King sandwich sold until the amount reaches $250,000.

Using the chicken sandwich specifically as the product of choice for the donation seems particularly pointed. The tweet even proceeded to say that it will continue to donate "even on Sundays", the day Chick-fil-A stores are closed, with a sly side-eye emoji.

Chick-fil-A has found themselves in the mud for years for their widely-known homophobic ownership. The chicken chain has also faced criticism for donating to anti-LGBTQ+ groups.

Burger King's tweet was seen by many as a saucy marketing ploy to not only show their support during a month when many corporations are trying to cash in on the community, but to drum up Chick-fil-A's murky past.

Chick-fil-A has been boycotted by many for its anti-gay support

Burger King's Ch'King has already become a fan favorite.
Burger King's Ch'King has already become a fan favorite.  © Screenshot/Twitter/paynus3

Chick-fil-A has been boycotted by many for its backing of an anti-gay agenda.

In 2012, Dan Cathy, CEO of the chain, said that the organization supports "the biblical definition of the family unit."

In March 2014, after the Supreme Court omitted section 3, the Defense of Marriage Act, Cathy tweeted, "Sad day for our nation; founding fathers would be ashamed of our gen. to abandon wisdom of the ages re: cornerstone of strong societies."

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The tweet was later deleted after widespread backlash.

Later in 2018, in an interview, Dan made his stance against same-sex marriage known.

In the UK, the chain has also been criticized severely and had to close a location in Berkshire after a backlash from the LGBTQ+ activists.

The company said in 2019 that it will distance itself from anti-gay organizations, but whether they have done so is unclear.

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Burger King stores displayed marketing materials with pride flags in June.
Burger King stores displayed marketing materials with pride flags in June.  © Screenshot/Twitter/PartyboiBeats

Burger King's jibes are not rare on social media, as their rivalry with McDonald's is an ever-present element of their marketing strategy.

Yet, Burger King has shown support for the LGBTQ+ community before their latest stunt.

Earlier in March, they made headlines with their tweet to announce the hiring of more LGBTQ+ employees.

In September 2020, Burger King linked up with McDonald's to show support with a poster of their mascots The Burger King and Ronald McDonald kissing during the Helsinki Pride festival.

Chick-Fil-A has yet to post any tweets since Pride Month began.

Cover photo: Collage: 123RF/Yuriy Kirsanov, 123RF/ricochet64 , & IMAGO / MediaPunch

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