A chicken sandwich is the fuel behind a feud between the Staten Island Pride Center and its hometown Baby Bombers.
The Staten Island Yankees, the Short-Season A affiliate of the big-league club, are in hot water over their 2019 season-long promotion with controversial fast food eatery Chick-fil-A — a partnership that left many in the borough’s LGBTQ community gobsmacked. The pact between the Yankees and Chick-fil-A calls for fans in attendance of a walk-off win at Richmond County Bank Ballpark to receive a free chicken sandwich courtesy of the restaurant.
“If you are a part of the LGBTQ community, have friends and/or family or an ally to the community, I would ask you to seriously consider your decision supporting the Staten Island Yankees. This is disgraceful,” Carol Bullock, executive director of the Pride Center of Staten Island, said Thursday via SILive.
Bullock noted that the fast food chain’s ownership also runs a charitable organization with a history of donating to anti-gay groups.
The ball club responded with a statement on Friday.
“Our ballpark has always been, and will continue to be, a safe space for the LGBTQ community,” said Will Smith, President/Operating Partner. “On Wednesday, leadership of the Pride Center contacted us and ended all communication with the Staten Island Yankees due to our recently announced partnership with a locally-owned and operated Chick-fil-A. We responded to the Pride Center yesterday and asked for the opportunity to meet to better understand their stance in hopes of building a bridge of communication to educate our community on these issues. We received no response…. We believe this space needs advocacy and leadership. The foundation of Minor League Baseball is ‘community.”
The Staten Yankees acknowledged its belief that they were the first professional baseball team to host a Pride Night, back in 2015. The major-league Mets followed suit a year later, while the Major League Yankees have yet to label an event “Pride Night.” The Yankees did recently announce they will hold LGBTQ community-themed events throughout this season.
Other borough residents echoed Bullock’s boycott, swinging for the fences in objection.
“Terrible partnership,” one wrote on Facebook, SILive reported. “I won’t give the SI Yankees another dime until it has ended. I’m glad my family ended its season ticket subscription.”
“Won’t be coming to the park anymore if you are partnering with an anti gay company,” another wrote.