***Update***: This was posted on their Facebook page:
Our publisher, HarperCollins, is marketing several of their Berenstain Bears titles through a kids’ meal promotion at Chick-fil-A scheduled for August. This program was in development for over a year. We were unaware of any controversy involving Chick-fil-A until July 25. The Berenstain family does not at this time have control over whether this program proceeds or not. We hope those concerned about this issue will direct their comments toward HarperCollins and Chick-fil-A.
The Berenstain Family
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The backstory about how the Muppets dumped Chick-fil-A for its owner’s anti-gay-rights views is here.
Now, it appears the Christian restaurant chain may be doing something it did years ago: Partnering with the Berenstain Bears, the beloved characters from the best-selling children’s book series.
I can’t verify this yet but there’s a petition campaign at CREDO Action to convince the owners of the Berenstain Bears characters to follow the Muppet’s and drop Chick-fil-A:
Now, Chick-fil-A is planning to partner with the Berenstain Bears for its next promotion, using the beloved bear family as a prize package for its kids’ meals. Losing business partners is a huge blow to the chicken-centric fast-food giant, and the strongest lesson possible to the company that its anti-gay stance is out of touch with modern values. To ensure the Berenstain’s — and Chick-fil-A — get the message, SumOfUs.org is partnering with CREDO to bring as much pressure to bear as we can against corporate homophobia.
As I write this, the Berenstain Bears’ Facebook wall is being littered with complaints about the affiliation — but all sources point back to the CREDO petition — which has no citations at all. So take this story with a grain of salt.
If the story is true, though, the Berenstains probably won’t back down. Because they’ve been publishing religious books for a while now. (These are not Photoshopped):




So, if the story checks out, you have another reason not to eat at Chick-fil-A. (Or, I guess, not to buy Berenstain Bears’ books…?)