Chick-fil-A manager in NH to help gay pride fest

NASHUA, N.H.—The manager of a Chick-fil-A in Nashua, N.H., is donating sandwiches to an upcoming festival celebrating gay rights.

The support from franchise operator Anthony Piccola for the New Hampshire Pride Fest comes as the restaurant chain continues to be criticized for an executive's comments about gay marriage.

Piccola said Wednesday that the Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in its restaurants "is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect -- regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender." It followed a statement he made last week that said the Nashua restaurant at the Pheasant Lane Mall has gay employees and serves gay customers "with honor, dignity and respect."

Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy told the Baptist Press last month that the Atlanta-based company was "guilty as charged" for backing "the biblical definition of a family." That unleashed a flood of criticism from gay rights groups and others, who have called for boycotts and efforts to block the chain from opening new stores.