Boycott the Anti-Gay Salvation Army This Holiday Season, and Beyond
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The Salvation Army is widely known as a charity that operates homeless shelters, soup kitchens for the poor, and thrift stores.
One of their most well-known fundraising activities is their huge force of bell ringers dressed in Santa Claus suits - you know them, they stand outside of retail stores and collect donations with their bell and kettle during the holiday season.
What most people do not realize, is that the Salvation Army is an anti-gay organization that has a history of pouring massive amounts of dollars and time into policies and causes that discriminate against gays and lesbians.
Their Position on Homosexuality
Behind the red shield of charity of the Salvation Army is a Protestant evangelical church.It is the position of the church that:
- Sexual intimacy is understood as a gift of God to be enjoyed within the context of heterosexual marriage.
- Christians whose sexual orientation is primarily or exclusively same-sex, are called upon to embrace celibacy as a way of life.
- There is no scriptural support for same-sex unions as equal to, or as an alternative to, heterosexual marriage.
These statements are brought to you directly from their website. They firmly stand behind their beliefs, and I applaud them for that.
People should stand behind their beliefs - that is why I am standing behind mine when I urge you to boycott the Salvation Army.
Here are the Facts... Along with my Italicized Comical Commentary (Sorry, Sergeant Friday)
A History of the Salvation Army's Anti-Gay Antics:
* In California, a regional arm of the Salvation Army instituted a policy to offer domestic partner benefits to employees.They later decided to re-examine the policy, and it was later repealed.
Of Course... why, one of a company’s very best practices is to revoke those policies that might enhance the quality of life for its dedicated employees and their families.
* The organization led an active and aggressive campaign against the Homosexual Law Reform Bill in New Zealand.
Prior to 1986, consensual sex between adult men was a crime that was punishable by law, this bill decriminalized homosexuality.
The bill was passed, culminating in Homosexual law Reform Act of 1986, but the Salvation Army fought against it by collecting thousands of signatures to have the it repealed.
Oh yeah, with all of the horrible things that people do to each other in the world, it makes perfect sense to rally the troops to go out and gather signatures against something natural, that grown-ups participate in consensually, and in the privacy of their own homes…
* It was revealed that the organization approached the Bush Administration (as high up as Karl Rove) to try to get approval that would enable them to discriminate against gays and lesbians in their hiring practices.
We all know that it is inherently right to discriminate against those people in our society that we do not approve of, you know…. women, blacks, disabled people, gays, etc
* They reduce the gay and lesbian lifestyle to the simplicity of “sexual urges,” and they firmly believe that Homosexuality is a choice, and an act of rebellion against God.
According to the Australian Chapter of the Salvation Army:
"[Homosexual activity is] as rebellion against God's plan for the created order.... Homosexual practice, however, is, in the light of Scripture, clearly unacceptable," says the Australia section. "Such activity is chosen behavior and is thus a matter of the will. It is therefore able to be directed or restrained in the same way heterosexual urges are controlled. Homosexual practice would render any person ineligible for full membership (soldiership) in the Army."
Yes folks, gays and lesbians most certainly appreciate it when people believe that the love and lives they share with their partners is all about sex. Furthermore, most gays and lesbians also love it when the population at large believes that they simply woke up one day and made the choice to be gay…
* The organization threatened to walk away from all its projects in New York if the city proceeded in a policy that would require contracted organizations to provide same-sex benefits.
Their New York City projects include homeless shelters, HIV services, foster care, and soup kitchens.
Nothing says charity quite like denying food and shelter to homeless people…Yes folks, that is exactly what pops into my head when I think about the phrase “What would Jesus do?”
In Conclusion
In their defense, the people who seek their charitable services are never turned away because of their sexual orientation.
However, when choosing agencies to which you will donate your money and time, why not choose to support those charitable organizations that do not contribute to homophobia, such as:
- The American Red Cross
- The Boys and Girls Clubs of America
- Doctors without Borders
When you give your money to the Salvation Army, you are supporting the efforts of an organization that perpetuates hatred and discrimination.
Resist the urge to drop money in those kettles this holiday season, and do not give them one thin dime, do not shop at their stores, and do not donate your used items to them until they change their anti-gay policies - which will most likely never happen.
- Sources -
Los Angeles Times: Salvation Army Gives a Lump of Coal to Gays
Chicago Pride: Salvation Army Uses Homeless to Fight Gay Benefits
Have Your Say
Would You Knowingly Support an Anti-Gay Organization?
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As a lesbian it would be incredibly silly of me to support any organization that seeks to have me discriminated against in any form.
And no, I cannot help all of those who are in need, but there are plenty of other charitable organizations that do not support homophobia - I listed a few in the hub if you bothered to notice.
And also, the National Coalition for the Homeless provides shelter, food, and other services to individuals and families REGARDLESS of a person's lifestyle (as you say), and they do not contribute to such nonsense as demeaning the value of a person's life because of their sexuality.
Where do they DEMEAN the VALUE of a person's life? And, can you show me where they have denied help to ANYONE because of their sexual lifestyle? Would you support an organization that supports the killing of an unborn child; devaluing life? Would you support an organization that was geared at helping only a specific group of people and not all people?
Wow...Typical
You either, did not actually read the hub, or you do not comprehend well...And to make your buffoonery even more apparent, you actually shouted the proof that you did not read the content to which you are commenting. LOL!
At any rate, I have lived long enough to know that one cannot argue with an opponent who lacks lacks acumen; therefore, with you I am finished.
I have known for a while that the salvation army hates gays. Thank you for reminding me not to drop my coins in their littl red bucket come Xmas time.
I was unaware of the anti-gay stance of the Army and frankly I'm disapointed. Your question "what would Jesus do" sums up what they should be doing and not what they are doing, Thanks for the info,
Peter
Thanks for the eye-opener! Voted up, interesting and shared! :)
I NEVER knew!! Every year I've supported the Salvation Army - not this year. Also voted up.
Salvation Army should be supported even more because of their bold stance.
They are a Christian organization so this doesn't really surprise me.
Did you also know the people who ring the bell get paid! A friend of mine did it and he was paid a percentage of what he got in donations plus a hourly wage. Since then I have never gave them money!
OK I am only going by what he said so if he was not telling the truth then I am sorry.
I'm not surprised at all, given the Salvation Army's adherence to the Bible. Unfortunately, there's as much narrow-minded silliness in the Bible as there is information of value. And the part that discriminates against gays falls under the silliness section, IMHO.
My argument to the Salvation Army and any others who defend the sovereignty of the Bible's message is that if salvation is critical so we can be saved from hell, why didn't Jesus write about that himself? Surely he would have been smart enough to leave a road map if the penalty for not following the Bible is burning in hell forever. FOREVER? That's a pretty steep punishment for choosing the wrong belief system or loving the person you choose, no matter what sex they are. Why would God set up a system that unfair, unclear and downright cruel?
Good for you for standing up for what you believe. And thanks for providing the mini-soapbox in your comment section. :-)
Wise Advice:
You can never win an argument with someone who lacks the intellect to know when they have already lost.
I never gave them money. They always seemed like a really strange organization.
Thanks for the reminder!
Why not choose another way of changing this policy instead of just boycotting? All that does is keep a large amount of money and help from people that need it. I would be more than willing to support a different way of changing this policy, but I'm still going to volunteer for the Salvation Army because it helps millions of families.
@ Abby Shrader - Their policy is not just a simple "policy," rather, it is weaved into the very fabric of their organization - so one cannot simply "change" their policy.
It is your right to volunteer, but certainly you can understand why GLBT and GLBT friendly people would choose to donate their time and money to organizations that do not devalue homosexuals.
The Salvation Army does indeed provide help to millions of families, and people should support them if they agree with their tenets.
Mitch Alan Level 1 Commenter 8 months ago
So, you are encouraging people to not support an organization that help feed, cloth and help individuals and families, because they hold to Biblical beliefs...Are you going to help those in need that will not receive help from the Salvation Army if funds are reduced as you hope to do?
You claim hatred from the Salvation Army, and yet, they provide help for those in need. And, they do so REGARDLESS of a person's sexual lifestyle.