The Serpentine Society, the LGBTQ alumni organization at the University, sent an open letter to President Teresa A. Sullivan Dec. 30 to express dismay with the Virginia football team's decision to participate in the Chick-fil-A Bowl the next day. The group maintains that the fast food chain supports anti-LGBTQ organizations.
Sean Kennedy, co-chair of The Serpentine Society and author of the letter, wrote that he understood that a bowl invitation is "hard to turn down," and asked the University to make a donation to LGBTQ studies at the University.
In an interview, Kennedy said the group was frustrated with Chick-fil-A's highly visibile anti-LGBTQ agenda in mainstream media.
In the letter, Kennedy referenced a January 2011 article in The New York Times which indicated that the company's operators, its WinShape Foundation and its founding family have given "millions of dollars" to a "variety of causes and programs," including "groups working to defeat same-sex marriage initiatives."
Moreover, Seth Kaye, an executive member of Queer and Allied Activism at the University, noted that Chick-fil-A's founders have donated about $2 million to groups classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as hate groups.
These groups, such as Focus on the Family, try to "prevent marriage equality in states" and "promote conversion from gay to straight," Kennedy said. "We want some money to combat the money that Chick-fil-A gives to these organizations."
University spokesperson Carol Wood said bowl proceeds had already been allocated before The Serpentine Society sent its letter. $50,000 will be given to AccessUVa, and another $50,000 to a scholarship for a student from Georgia.
"These gifts have the ability to benefit LGBTQ students in our community," Wood said.
The Chick-fil-A Bowl provides a $3.35 million payout to participating teams, according to numerous reports. But Virginia football spokesperson Jim Daves said in an email that this money is divided among other ACC programs. It is unclear exactly how much Virginia received.
Despite the allegations against the Chick-fil-A brass, Wood said "there is no report to my knowledge that [Chick-fil-A founders] have influenced the company's treatment of its employees or its patrons, nor have they negatively influenced the company's corporate sponsorship of the Chick-fil-A Bowl."
Still, Kennedy believes the University needs to stand up for equality.
"We don't begrudge the University's successes ... all we want from the president was acknowledgement that they support LGBTQ equality," he said.
Kennedy said The Serpentine Society also hopes to see the LGBTQ area of study expand at the University, including the introduction of a queer studies minor.
Wood responded to The Serpentine Society last night, saying the University does not have a choice as to which bowl the football team plays in, nor does the participation in the Chick-fil-A Bowl counter "strong-held beliefs about the importance of diversity in our community." She also emphasized the University's "strong commitment to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community."
Kennedy said he appreciated the University's response, but is disappointed that no donation is going to be made to the LGBTQ studies fund at the College Foundation.
"The University significantly lags behind peer institutions ... concerning academic opportunities," Kennedy said.
Representatives from the Chick-fil-A Bowl did not respond to emails and phone calls requesting comment.
Correction: An earlier version of this story has been updated to reflect that the University donated $50,000, not $500,000 of its proceeds from the football team's participation in January's Chick-fil-A Bowl to AccessUVa.
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