A fast food giant, Chick-fil-A, is the latest company to face backlash from conservative activists, who in this case have taken objection to the hiring of a vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This comes as some major corporations and investment firms are facing criticism from conservatives concerning their DEI initiatives.

Chick-fil-A, a privately held company, recently hired its newest vice president, Erick McReynolds, to help fulfill the company’s stated purpose: “To glorify god,” by helping the company “combine our unique backgrounds and experiences with a culture of belonging.”

“Modeling care for others starts in the restaurant, and we are committed to ensuring mutual respect, understanding and dignity everywhere we do business,” Mr. Reynolds, a black man, said in a statement. “These tenets are good business practice and crucial to fulfilling our Corporate Purpose.”

Mr. Reynolds’s hiring has already ignited a firestorm on Twitter, with one activist who describes himself as a former Chick-fil-A fan claiming that the move is “inherently anti-white.”

“We have a problem with DEI training, which is inherently anti-white,” activist Joey Mannarino tweeted. “We are not wanting to be discriminated against for the color of our skin.”

Mr. Mannarino added, using an offensive slur for trans people: “It’s only a matter of time until they start putting tran– semen in the frosted lemonade at this point.”

It’s ironic that Chick-fil-A is facing this backlash, considering that the company is known for its Christian owners, strong family values, and insisting on being closed on Sundays. 

Despite or perhaps because of its reputation as a faith-friendly company,  headlines are appearing in online conservative spaces, such as Not the Bee, posing the question, “Did Chick-Fil-A just go woke?”

The fast-growing, hugely popular chain has now earned a spot alongside Bud Light, Miller Light, Target, Kohl’s, and Walmart in that all are facing criticism from activists for transgressions such as selling pride–themed merchandise.

As with some of the other protests — Target, say, has sold pride-themed merchandise for more than a decade — Chick-fil-A’s corporate backing of diversity initiatives isn’t new.

In 2019, the company “pledged to give back to Black-led non profits or those serving the Black community,” according to a statement from a company spokesman.

What is new is the growing backlash against inclusive marketing from major corporations, backlash that is now leading to boycotts, public relations nightmares, and, in the case of Anheuser-Busch and Target, major drops in the companies’ stock prices and valuations.