Burger King is promising to donate to an LGBTQ group for every chicken sandwich sold 'even on Sundays' amid calls to boycott Chick-fil-A

• Burger King will donate to the Human Rights Campaign for every chicken sandwich sold this month.
• BK announced the initiative in a tweet aimed at Chick-fil-A.
• Chick-fil-A is under fire for CEO donations to groups fighting LGBTQ protections.

Burger King says that for every Ch'King sandwich sold during June, which is Pride month, it will donate to The Human Rights Campaign.

The chain announced the donation plans in a tweet on June 3 that seemed pointed at Chick-fil-A, the reigning chicken sandwich fast food restaurant. BK says it will donate 40 cents for every chicken sandwich sold up to $250,000, or 625,000 sandwiches.

-Burger King (@BurgerKing) June 4, 2021

Chick-fil-A, which is famously closed on Sundays, is once again facing scrutiny over donations made by CEO Dan Cathy to groups fighting legislation for LGBTQ protections. Cathy is a "high-dollar donor" to the National Christian Charitable Foundation (NCF), one of the largest charities in the US with a history of funding opposition to The Equality Act, The Daily Beast reported.

Chick-fil-A itself no longer makes political donations.

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The Equality Act would expand civil rights protections to LGBTQ people, making it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identification in employment, housing, and other areas. The NCF funds opposition to the bill through donations to groups fighting the legislation, including the Heritage Foundation and the Alliance Defending Freedom.

Chick-fil-A did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

The Dan and Rhonda Cathy Foundation donated $5,750 to the NCF in 2018, 2017, and 2016, according to 990 tax filings.

Burger King's Pride Month promotion is a chance for it to distinguish itself from the crowded chicken sandwich landscape. Burger King released the Ch'King sandwich on June 3 after two years of recipe testing.

KFC, Popeyes, and McDonald's all sell their own versions of crispy chicken sandwiches, though Chick-fil-A remains the chain to beat. As of December 2020, Chick-fil-A still had by far the largest share of online chicken sandwiches sales at 45%. No other brand even reached 20%.

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