Chick-fil-A Exec’s Speech Nixed

Two St. Louis-area groups are canceling an appearance by Chick-fil-A's president because of the company's antigay associations, theSt. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Focus St. Louis, a community development organization, and the Clayton, Mo., Chamber of Commerce had planned to have Dan Cathy (pictured), president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, speak at a March 18 event. They decided to cancel after Missouri gay rights group PROMO brought recent controversies involving the fast-food chain to their attention and asked them to reconsider.

"We are a pro-diversity culture here and certainly don't want to offend anyone," chamber head Ellen Gale told the Post-Dispatch. "We didn't know anything about this when he was booked."

LGBT activists spoke out against the company earlier this year because an independent Pennsylvania Chick-fil-A operator was involved with an event run by the antigay Pennsylvania Family Institute. Also, it was revealed that a marriage retreat center started by Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy, Dan Cathy's father, does not permit same-sex couples at its conferences.