By Rachel Partlow
You’ve seen them every year, and are likely to see them again. They stand in the cold by a red kettle, tightly bundled up in winter clothes, ringing a bell until their arms ache. Who are they? They’re the Salvation Army, a Christian charity organization whose collected funds give shelters to the homeless and food to the hungry. But is Salvation Army all about good will and helping the unfortunate? Sadly, no. Much like other stricter Christian denominations, most Salvation Army members believe that homosexuality is a sin, and this belief has manifested itself in ugly ways.
For legal reasons they are not allowed to discriminate against members. However, many employees have complained of Salvation Army’s anti-gay hiring practices. On Salvation Army’s official webpage, it is stated that 83 cents of every dollar collected goes straight to charity. But what of the other 17 cents? It is this fraction of money that allows Salvation Army to lobby to congress against gay rights. In fact, New York Times reported that the Salvation Army went to the White House to override anti-discrimination laws. It doesn’t take a lot of thought to guess who they were trying to gain the right to discriminate against.
Perhaps the Salvation Army’s worst homophobic offense happened in San Francisco. There, the Salvation Army refused government funding and closed several of their programs because of domestic partner laws. It just seems alarming that the Salvation Army would sacrifice aid to the poor just to show their incompliance with gay rights.
Nonetheless, Salvation Army does more good than it does harm, and not all its members share its views. It still remains the United State’s second largest provider of social aid, and it still helps more than thirty six million Americans. So next time you pass a charity collect, and think to donate, make sure you know exactly where your money is going.
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