I never donate to salvation armybecause I remember the court case when they fought for the right to discriminate.
And I just DARE any of those bell ringers to do anything more than ring the bell at me…don’t dare ask me for money, because I will tell you EXACTLY why I am not donating to the Salvation Army…because it discriminates.  
Thank you for reminding people about this.

I won’t give them my cash eitherI’ve heard too many stories of Trans women being treated horribly at their homeless shelters.
I know of one young women treated so bad she would rather sleep in the loading dock of an abandoned grocery store than deal with the dehumanizing crap put upon her by the army.
Dena
 

They get the same treatment the Boy Scouts do from me.Scouts–’Do you want to buy some peanuts to support our troop camp out?’
Me–”Nope, your group discriminates against other United States Citizens, you know, Teh Gay ones.’
And I make sure a parent or two hear me.  Same for the Bell ringers
My friends and I are not good enough for you so you all really don’t need our PINK Dollars.

Put a note in their red potI like to put a note in the bell ringer’s pot… telling them I’ll consider making a donation when they start a expressing an attitude of equality toward gays. It brings me great satisfaction.

Don’t forget:They operate shelters for the homeless, recovery programs, and other vital social service elements.
And LGBT are denied all of it.

3-dollar billsSeveral years ago, someone created a 3-dollar bill to drop into the Salvation Army kettles.  The bills look alot like a real dollar bill, except that they contain the message

When the Salvation Army ends its policy of religious bigotry and discrimination against Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender people then, and only then, will this be a real dollar bill.  Stop homophobia, discrimination and hate now!

I will email a copy of these 3-dollar bills to Pam and hopefully she can post them here.  When you fold them up into quarters, like you would fold a regular dollar bill, the bell ringer won’t really notice that you’re not depositing a real dollar.  
By the way, as if the homophobic discrimination wasn’t enough, you should know that money dropped into those kettles does not go to provide food and shelter to the needy – it goes to pay for their lobbyists in Washington and other administrative expenses.  The Salvation Army now receives a lot of government money as a result of George Bush’s “faith-based initiatives” and that money must go to the needy, but money dropped in the pot has no strings attached and can be used any way they want, so that’s how they pay for all the other stuff.

except thatit’s still perfectly fine to discriminate against lgbt’s under federal law.  caesar, it appears, is a bigot.

damn,

my tata-tainted tithe

you do know how to get me excited!

Remember the campaign to protest the SA?Instead of money, somebody had created a pre-printed form to drop in their buckets that explained that you were giving your money to charities that don’t discriminate.
I haven’t done any business with the SA in I don’t know how long.  Too many non-crazy charities need it just as badly.

great ideaI’m going to look for that form and stuff some in my pocket!

thank youfor this.  I’m glad some of us still stand up for ourselves!

the Salvation Armycan go genitally express itself.

I need to be more vocal…I also don’t support the BSA when they come around, but I don’t articulate why (mostly because I see little kids – like, 6 years old). I think I’d react differently to older kids or teens, but around here most of them never get out of cub scouts.

Hmmm, Bell Ringer…Could it be SATAN?

Genitally expressed?That makes me think for the need for Hallmark to come out with Genital Expressions Cards for “when you care to send the very sexiest.”
Seriously, though, I’d like to see where the SA finds “genitally expressed” anywhere in Hebrew Scripture.  They must have a version from another galaxy.

Yes…Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve known plenty of LGBTs who have gone through their addiction recovery programs; some of them were quite flaming (and oh, the stories they tell about their “genitial expression within those recovery places!). I myself couldn’t do it because it’s just waaaaaaaay too heavy on the God talk.

Look no furtherhttp://www.soulforce.org/artic…
Only the SoulForce coupon link is working; the other two vouchers have vanished into the internet ether. If you don’t like them, though, it should be easy to create your own.

That’s from the Indian websiteNot that it excuses it, but that same language can’t be found on the website for the USA.
And I don’t donate to the Salvation Army, so I’m not defending them.

LurleenI think their policy is ignorant and it urks me too. But, their position on homosexuality is a little more complex than what you relate in your post.

The Salvation Army holds a positive view of human sexuality. Where a man and a woman love each other, sexual intimacy is understood as a gift of God to be enjoyed within the context of heterosexual marriage. However, in the Christian view, sexual intimacy is not essential to a healthy, full, and rich life. Apart from marriage, the scriptural standard is celibacy.
Sexual attraction to the same sex is a matter of profound complexity. Whatever the causes may be, attempts to deny its reality or to marginalize those of a same-sex orientation have not been helpful. The Salvation Army does not consider same-sex orientation blameworthy in itself. Homosexual conduct, like heterosexual conduct, requires individual responsibility and must be guided by the light of scriptural teaching.
Scripture forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same sex. The Salvation Army believes, therefore, that 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.
Likewise, there is no scriptural support for demeaning or mistreating anyone for reason of his or her sexual orientation. The Salvation Army opposes any such abuse.
In keeping with these convictions, the services of The Salvation Army are available to all who qualify, without regard to sexual orientation. The fellowship of Salvation Army worship is open to all sincere seekers of faith in Christ, and membership in The Salvation Army church body is open to all who confess Christ as Savior and who accept and abide by The Salvation Army’s doctrine and discipline.

The Salvation Army is a “conservative” Christian organization and their “interpretation” of scripture as it relates to sexual intimacy is no surprise.  I disagree with their belief that scripture “forbids” same-sex relations.
The Salvation Army states it is wrong to marginalize homosexuals even though they do when it comes to employment.
Unlike Catholic Charities, they will not with-hold services to individuals in need because of their sexual-orientation. I guess we can throw them a bone for that.
 

Except in IndiaWhere you’ll be depressed and lonely, because it was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.  

Yeah, I worked for TSA for a good whileSome regional HQs had Domestic Partnerships before their state had them, and the statement to approve those benefits were almost the same “who are we to judge?” or “I’m not sure we’re reading the bible right on this one” type of statements.
One affiliated office here hired someone who headed a pride organization and was known to be in a long-term relationship with expressed intimacy. They bring their partner to events.
And offices are practically secular, though because they interact with the ministry, there are services you can attend and they don’t always forbid folks from saying “god bless you” and such.
Oh, and only workplace where I never had anyone say anything homophobic to me or others.
It’s very VERY complex but not quite as anti-gay as one would think. They had fits and spasms over domestic partnerships a few years ago in more liberal regions, but it’s a process.
Of course, I don’t donate to most anything– I prefer direct assistance and volunteership. I know nearly 100% of money in kettles comes back, which is high for a charity, but I like to see social work in action.

I will genitally express my displeasure of the S.A.FART!!!!!!

Scripture does not forbid same-sex sex,the word “abomination” is used, but has been mistranslated.  It correctly translates as “filthy”.  These practices were thought of as dirty by the old time jewish community, and rightly so as one can contract disease through anal copulation (bacterial infection, etc.).  But the english translation is incorrect.

I always thoughtit was really forbidding bisexuality.  I would never lay with a woman in the same way I lay with a man.

Which is why I stopped supporting them years agoIn the mid 80s, I was a deacon at the Metropolitan Community Church in Tucson. Our church was located downtown, and we got a lot of transients (mostly homeless gay men) coming to us for help. We had a list of shelters, kitchens, etc and we frequently made referrals.
Then, one day, the SA informed us that they were no longer accepting any referrals MCC provided. It seems that the night before, we had referred an effeminiate gay man to their men’s shelter, where he was assaulted by other lodgers for being “girly.” According to them, the bashing was his fault. We should have known that he would have “caused trouble” and therefore we were no longer trusted.
I have not given them a slug nickel since. When they come out to my neighborhood every Christmas (Capitol Hill, Seattle’s gay heart) I make it a point of telling the ringer — loud enough for passers-by to hear — how totally offensive it is that they would be in this area soliciting money from people they would rather see broken on the streets than safe in their shelters.

I’ll start donating againwhen they resolve these “fits and spasms.”  Until then, none of my tainted gay-friendly money will contaminate their holy kettles and they can have spasms and throw fits to their little hearts’ content.
I’m not sure why bigots like these think they’ll get points for simply allowing gays to live.  That’s not enough.  I sent them the following email:
“Hi,
I just read your organization’s position on homosexuality on your website, and want to thank you for posting it.
As a straight, married woman who’s adamantly in favor of gay and lesbian civil rights, including the right to marry, I’ve been mistakenly giving your holiday kettles tainted money all these years.  No longer!  You’ll be glad to know that, in the interest of respecting your views, I will now pass them by.
Happy holidays.”

I was an easy touch for SA kettle ringers, before they insisted they could discriminateF*CK EM, I donate to AIDS hospices.

But apparently anti-transSee my post.
Dena  

Actually more like being “ritual unclean”…So you’d need to be riturally purified before going to sacrifice at an altar, etc. Of course that also goes for touching a woman who’s bleeding (menses or otherwise), or wearing cotton and wool together, or anything else tagged “abomination.”
Nto to mention there’s a mistranslation – the original hebrew word can be translated as “temple prostitute.” That’s a big difference from 2 people on equal footing.

At the Latke-Hamantashen debates last year…I remember the U of Chicago rabbi explaining that everyone had been misreading it for centuries, and that “thou shalt not lie with a man as with a woman” can only be correctly understood in the context of the Bible having been written by, and for, lesbians.

Not just trans people, but all of us.It’s been the SA’s policy to toss people out of their shelters if there is even a remote suspicion that they might be LGBT.  They’ve been doing it for decades–and getting away with it.  They also actively opposed enacting legal protections here in Pittsburgh, and they’ve done so in a great many other jurisdictions as well.  Most people seem to have the impression that the Salvation Army is merely a charitable organization.  But it is an actual Christian denomination.  And it is one of the most willfully cruel and doggedly ignorant.
In short, homeless LGBT people, including young people, actually have their lives made worse by the creeps who run SA homeless shelters.  Christians in action.  Maybe they should all move to Uganda.

And don’t forgetthey also discriminate quite actively against atheists and their children.  But then, what can you expect from a group that is funded in large part by the Mormons?

Except the scriptural standardis that Centurions can have “boys” and still be praised for their faith.  
Of course, that’s the New Testament, and not something Paul spewed on top of it.
The Salvation Army.  Just another Pauline organization.

One of the SA’s thrift stores has LGBT competition just blocks away from it here in Richmond, VA:The Gay Community Center of Richmond’s Diversity Thrift is literally a couple of blocks from a SA store.  I can’t remember if I ever donated to their buckets at all but decided not to support the SA in anyway after I found out more about their policies.  I always wondered about why the SA bell ringers seemed to be so ubiquitous even outside of businesses that don’t allow any other groups to do a similar thing (fundraise) on their premises.  I guess it’s because it’s been around for so long and, early on, successfully tied the idea of giving to SA to the Christmas season.  I pretty much ignore the ringers when I see them and it also seems most other people do anyway (although I’m sure that’s not because they’re making any pro-LGBT statement).

Thanks for the linkSA beggars are everywhere this year.  I spoke with a manager at Henry’s Market here and informed her of SA’s discriminatory practices, she told me that she could do nothing, that it was a “corporate decision”.  I’ve heard nothing from them.  SA apparently directly talks to corporate heads to get the okay to beg and there’s nothing individual stores can do about it. Disgusting but certainly effective.

The American websiteActually, I googles “Salvation Army homosexuality” and the link I have above popped up.  I didn’t notice it was from India, but since it is an international organization I don’t think it matters much.  But since you pointed it out, I checked the American website and found a similar but toned-down warning to be celibate:

Homosexuality
The Salvation Army holds a positive view of human sexuality. Where a man and a woman love each other, sexual intimacy is understood as a gift of God to be enjoyed within the context of heterosexual marriage. However, in the Christian view, sexual intimacy is not essential to a healthy, full, and rich life. Apart from marriage, the scriptural standard is celibacy.
Sexual attraction to the same sex is a matter of profound complexity. Whatever the causes may be, attempts to deny its reality or to marginalize those of a same-sex orientation have not been helpful. The Salvation Army does not consider same-sex orientation blameworthy in itself. Homosexual conduct, like heterosexual conduct, requires individual responsibility and must be guided by the light of scriptural teaching.
Scripture forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same sex. The Salvation Army believes, therefore, that 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.
Likewise, there is no scriptural support for demeaning or mistreating anyone for reason of his or her sexual orientation. The Salvation Army opposes any such abuse.
In keeping with these convictions, the services of The Salvation Army are available to all who qualify, without regard to sexual orientation. The fellowship of Salvation Army worship is open to all sincere seekers of faith in Christ, and membership in The Salvation Army church body is open to all who confess Christ as Savior and who accept and abide by The Salvation Army’s doctrine and discipline.
Scriptures: Genesis 2:23-24; Leviticus 18:22; Mark 2:16-17; Romans 1:26-27; Romans 5:8; I Corinthians 6:9-11; I Corinthians 13; Galatians 6:1-2; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; I Thessalonians 5:14-15; I Timothy 1:15-16; Jude 7

Views like “The Salvation Army does not consider same-sex orientation blameworthy in itself” seem warmly tolerant, but as we’ve seen from the comments above and our own experiences, individuals and programs working in TSA are profoundly intolerant and outright destructive to LGBT bodies and souls.  It shouldn’t be surprising that even when the company line is, essentially, “don’t judge”, employees will certainly judge harshly because TSA’s overall message is that homosexuality is an abomination.

Thank you for taking the time to do that

Thank you for taking the time to do that

“Unlike Catholic Charities, they will not with-hold services”

Unlike Catholic Charities, they will not with-hold services to individuals in need because of their sexual-orientation. I guess we can throw them a bone for that.

Hogwash.  I have personally met homeless LGBTs, including teenagers, who have been kicked out of SA shelters on the slightest suspicion that they might be, er, moral degenerates.  It has been happening here in Pittsburgh for decades, and I’ve heard tell of it happening elsewhere as well. It may not be SA’s official written policy, but it is certainly the unofficial one–and they enforce it only too cheerfully.

PFLAGPFLAG chapters across the country one year started a campaign to slip $3 bills in the SA kettles, and IIRC the Secret Service approached the chapters and asked them to make the bills less like a real bill so they wouldn’t be accused of passing counterfeit money.
I DLed the Soulforce pdf and will be giving the SA ringers here the slips.
I do wish they could’ve been allowed to use jingle bells rather than that annoying ringer they’re required to use.

I sent my SA mail solicitationtelling them I will not donate because of their policies and to please take me out of their mailing list. Fuck them.

Credit where credit is dueI think Anti-Racist Action of Cleveland is the organization which composed the three dollar bill you mention.
h/t Concerned Women of America
You can view the image at IrregularTimes.com, but unfortunately it isn’t as large as a real dollar bill.
http://www.irregulartimes.com/…

I searched the Wayback Machine and found an archived website……which has larger bills than on the IrregularTimes website.
http://web.archive.org/web/200…

The General’s takewith a link I checked and seems to be working.
Happy Pagan Holidays
http://patriotboy.blogspot.com…