Chick-fil-A's sandwiches are no longer homophoburgers or free-speech-you-can-eat or whatever the fast food meant during this summer's culture wars. Fried chicken just went back to being delicious as the chain promised to stop "supporting organizations with political agendas," which includes anti-gay groups--a move that's gotten them back into a Chicago's good graces. We learned the news by way of Chicago's The Civil Right Agenda (TCRA) an LGBT-rights advocacy group, who report that Chick-fil-A has penned a letter saying, "The WinShape Foundations is now taking a much closer look at the organizations it considers helping, and in that process will remain true to its stated philosophy of not supporting organizations with political agendas." That letter was addressed to Chicago Alderman Joe Moreno, who along with Boston mayor Thomas Menino, said they would block the chain for its anti-gay views. WinShape is the chain's not-for-profit charitable arm that had previously donated to groups opposing gay marriage. TCRA adds, "In meetings the company executives clarified that they will no longer give to anti-gay organizations, such as Focus on the Family and the National Organization for Marriage."

Of course, the nugget here (har har) is the statement seems to have come out in a roundabout way (second-hand, through the TCRA) not from Chick-fil-A itself. But according to Buzzfeed, a spokesman did not contest what was said in TCRA's release. And Alderman Moreno, according to the Chicago Tribune, was so satisfied with the company's pledge not to back anti-gay groups and promise to include a statement of respect for all sexual orientations that he has allowed the chain to open to a restaurant in Chicago's Logan Square--a move he previously threatened to block. "It's one thing to say that's the way you feel — it's another thing to put it into a company policy and an official company statement," Moreno told the Tribune, adding that he achieved his goal of getting the chain to "affirm that they do not have discriminatory policies."

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Alexander Abad-Santos