LGBT Community calls the Salvation Army Bigots

[Helmholtz Watson]

So apparently the LGBT community is asking people to avoid donating to the Salvation Army because of "their conservative views on homosexuality". Here is an clip from the article:

"The Salvation Army has a history of active discrimination against gays and lesbians. While you might think you're helping the hungry and homeless by dropping a few dollars in the bright red buckets, not everyone can share in the donations," Bil Browning notes on The Bilerico Project. "The organization also has a record of actively lobbying governments worldwide for anti-gay policies -- including an attempt to make consensual gay sex illegal."

However the Salvation Army has responded with the following statement:
"I appreciate the opportunity to correct the record when it does come up. In fact, the Salvation Army serves countless people across the country every day from any variety of backgrounds, including gays and lesbians. This number probably reaches into the thousands, though it is impossible for us to determine, primarily because we would simply never ask about a person's sexual identity."

"Because The Salvation Army is a church we do have theological positions on a variety of topics. These positions are intended for our church members or those who are interested in our church. Just as you wouldn't expect everyone you meet to share all your ideas or beliefs, we would never expect everyone we help, our donors, or even our non-church-member employees to necessarily agree with these theological positions."

So Escapist what do you think? Does this change your opinion on the Salvation Army? Will you still donate to the Salvation Army the next time you hear the bell with the red bucket?

TLR LGBT Community says that the Salvation Army discriminates against Gay and Lesbian people, which the Salvation Army says is not the case.

Here is a link to the article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/25/salvation-army-red-kettle-lgbt-community_n_1113358.html?ref=religion&ir=Religion

 

[ffs-dontcare]

Even if they did discriminate, at least SOME people would still be receiving help.

 

[silversnake4133]

Of course I'll donate, mostly because it's helping others. The Salvation Army helps many people in my community, especially the families who are living on or just above the poverty line, and many more who are below it. Even though I support and advocate gay rights in this country, I'm not going to stop donating to a major charity just because some people have disputes about where the charity money is going.

Now if the Salvation Army was simply taking the donations and keeping them or only giving select families aid, then yeah I'd stop donating.

 

[Zeckt]

Whatever. When I was 20 with no home or parents and with no way to feed myself I relied on them, and they never once asked me my sexuality.

 

[thiosk]

Just like the radical religious right perceives a homosexual agenda with the intent to subvert and to dominate the world, the radical homosexual left perceives a christian agenda with the intent to subvert and to dominate the world.

Less radical members of both sides end up caught in the middle and dragged into mudslinging.

Nothing to see here. Also, I don't think the LGBT community came together with a unified voice and called the salvation army bigots. Its probably just a few blokes.

This is as newsworthy as that one black lady who decided that the letter K printed on the label of a snapple bottle stood for corporate support of the ku klux klan.

 

[Woodsey]

They do charity work, which deserves respect, and they use a 2000-year-old religion as an excuse to say which groups aren't entitled to have equal rights, which deserves no respect.

So... yeah.

As someone else said, donate to secular charities. Its clout as a well-known charity should not be being used to lobby that sort of stuff.

(Having said that, hard to prove the thing about them discriminating in their day-to-day charity work; although they could just employ something similar to Don't Ask, Don't Tell, although I'm just speculating on that one.)

 

[One of Many]

Personally, I don't care. I'm still give them a few dollars this holiday season.

 

[omicron1]

So all public groups - charities, political parties, physicians - are required to toe left-wing political lines or get off the streets now? If you don't support unions, abortions, and gay rights you can just go hide in a corner while the Correct People run the world?

Personally, I will be putting whatever I have in hand in the bucket next time I see one, just for this reason. Gorram politicizing.

 

[cgentero]

If they are taking donations to fund anti-LGBT lobbying then there is a problem, but the article is only implying thats the situation and isn't exactly clear on this matter.

Reading a bit more about the Salvation Army and learned they receive governments grants based on their charity work, so if the above is true its much worse than thought.

 

[Mirror Cage]

Where have the LGBT community been? I've known that for years.

I do donate to the 'Army. As long as they don't discriminate who they give aid to, I could care less what they try to push. Besides, its not like you have to go to a 'Pray Away the Gay' re-education camp if you want to get aid/volunteer. I've been a volunteer for them several time and no one had tried to indoctrinate me.

 

[viranimus]

Wow, LGTCBY community pushing for this I have one thing for ya.


I mean seriously, who has the salvation army ever hurt? Annoyed with their bells, sure, but hurt?

This group of people pushing for this are clearly exhibiting PETA level insanity by assuming a direct co-relation of bigotry to the salvation army because there is minor background religious context, and the assumption that Christianity is inherently bigoted.

You know for a group that cries about how they are not tolerated, it seems pretty hypocritical to be so intolerant to another group of people who never bore them a slight in the first place. Perhaps THATS the reason for intolerance and not the assumption its all about denying you the right to live the way you want to live.

 

[FangShadow]

Honestly....I got nothing. I don't agree with SA's position, but I don't see the reason they should just be cut off from helping people. If they don't discriminate with their aid, well...

I'm for gay rights, but the SA does an alright job from what I've heard from people.

I wouldn't know. I don't donate to many charities.

 

[Freaky Lou]

Oh, pfft. They're a Christian organization and have never once pretended to anything else. They aren't discriminatory at all in who they give aid to, so why does this matter?

Obviously it's not going to be supportive of homosexual relationships, but its job is to provide aid to those who need it, and it does that--much better than the much-more-praised Red Cross, for example. They're one of the best charities.

 

[Kingsman]

I'm thinking the Salvation Army does a LOT more good than bad.

Yes, and the nazis helped Germany out of a deep economic crisis, so they were also good guys? Give me a break.

You know, I figured a while ago that if I couldn't support the idea of a future in which LGTBs or BLTs or whatever the hell they called themselves were officially recognized as a national minority (god help us all...) I could at least tolerate them if they made themselves to be ordinary otherwise.

It's shit like this which is even pushing that level of toleration. Where people who have an opposing viewpoint to the homosexual community are seen as neo-fascist Hitler clones.

I mean, WOW. I realize that the right has a fair share of Bible-thumping logic-abandoning creationists it has to account for, but I truly never fail to be startled by how horrible you liberals and your comparisons can be. You are comparing a CHARITY ORGANIZATION TO HITLER. I suppose I must be, what, the equivalent of a two-headed Hitler with laser eyes in your mind? Do you drug yourselves or something to get these arguments?

Whatever. Don't bother responding- I'm not arguing with you. I've learned to stop beating on that brick wall a while ago.

Also, I don't think the LGBT community came together with a unified voice and called the salvation army bigots. Its probably just a few blokes.

God, I hope so. I know that the true opinions of many are unheard from silent mouths while the loudest claim to represent them, but some days, I really, REALLY wonder.

 

[Kopikatsu]

I never donated to them anyway. Anyone with a different agenda, conversion in their case, is just not a charity.

Also note how their spokesperson doesn't even bother to deny their bigoted views, but instead tries to hide by saying they a happy few that do comply by the standards of being Arya... -oh wait, different bigots - people that do comply with the standards of a 'good Christian'. (as if anyone knows what those are)

Even if they did discriminate, at least SOME people would still be receiving help.

So let's recognize the KKK as a charity eh?

And why not label the Taliban a charity while we're at it? After all if you're a devout Muslim extremist, they can give you a lot of aid.

I'm thinking the Salvation Army does a LOT more good than bad.

Yes, and the nazis helped Germany out of a deep economic crisis, so they were also good guys? Give me a break.

...wat. You're comparing the Salvation Army to the Nazi party? I think you should take a step back and reconsider that, guy.

The Salvation Army is against homosexuality. They also provide aid to everyone, including homosexuals. Is there really a problem there? Aren't they entitled to their opinion? (I'd say that they weren't if they were actively discriminating against homosexuals...but they aren't.)

 

[Olrod]

I'll never donate to the Damnation Army because they're a bunch of bigots.

 

[Nimbus]

As far as I see it, people should donate to either charities that support their own religion, or, much preferably, secular charities. Nothing else makes much sense.