Chick-fil-A will no longer be opening its doors at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
New York State Assemblyman Sean Ryan cited the company's "long history of supporting and funding anti-LGBTQ organizations," as reasons to decline the plans, USA Today reported.
The San Antonio City Council days earlier also wavered on opening a Chick-fil-A at the local airport for similar reasons.
Ryan applauded the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) for making "every effort to contract with businesses that adhere to anti-discriminatory policies."
Now NFTA is facing backlash from prominent civil rights officials including Peter Kirsanow, of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights who said the ban was based on religious grounds, WIVB noted.
In a letter addressed to NFTA Chair Sister Denise Roche, Kirsanow said the actual reason the airport declined the plans was because the Chick-Fil-A Foundation made donations to organizations in support of the traditional concept of marriage.
However, Kirsanow pointed out that the franchise had not discriminated against anyone based on their sexual orientation during hiring employees or servicing customers.
Chick-Fil-A posted a lengthy response on its website in which it noted that the reports on its monetary donations to certain charity organizations were "misleading," and "driving an inaccurate narrative" about its brand. The restaurant chain proceeded to give an in depth breakdown of its charitable contributions, gifts and grants donated.
"We are committed to transparency in our corporate giving," Chick-Fil-A concluded.
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