Chick-fil-A Backed Retreat: No Gay Couples

A retreat for a philanthropic group funded by Chick-fil-A will not welcome same-sex couples, according to e-mails received from Good as You.

The WinShape Foundation was started in 1984 by Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy and his wife, Jeannette, to fund summer camp programs for children. WinShape also sponsors a retreat center for couples at Berry College in Rome, Ga. -- there are programs and counseling for both unwed and married couples on how to have "a successful Christian marriage."

The Good as You blog discovered correspondence asking WinShape officials if same-sex couples could attend the retreats.

"WinShape Retreat defines marriage from the Biblical standard as being between one man and one woman," the foundation's reply said. "Groups/individuals are welcome who offer wholesome, educational conferences and programs that are compatible with Biblical values and WinShape's purpose."

When asked to clarify, WinShape officials sent an e-mail that read, "We do not accept homosexual couples because of the statement in our contract."

Representatives at Chick-fil-A's headquarters in College Park, Ga., didn't immediately reply to a request for comment. The chicken chain caught flak earlier this month when it was discovered it had sponsored a marriage event run by the antigay Pennsylvania Family Institute (Chick-fil-A later dropped its name from banner ads promoting the event). In 2009 the company supported the antigay group Focus on the Family.