A reminder now that they are out ringing their bells

[RAB910]

[Aristus]

1. I never donate to the Salvation Army.

What a load of hateful assholes.

[Blue_true]

23. It is a tough call but I drop money into the kettle.

I run daily, I have seen the organization feeding homeless people along my run several times per week. I have not seen anyone that looked like they were turned away.

[cwydro]

30. Sorry, but you are 100% wrong on this.

When I lived in the Keys, I was unfortunate enough to go through several hurricanes.

EVERY single time, the Salvation Army was first into the neighborhoods. They were there before the Red Cross, the Guard, anyone. That “load of hateful assholes” as you call them brought food and supplies to traumatized folks. They never once preached, nor did they care whom they served.

The manager of their thrift store there was an out gay woman, whose lover worked there too.

I’m gay, and I put something into every kettle.

[Ms. Toad]

35. I always find it odd that those of us who are most vigilant about

trying to make DU a relativley safe place for LGBT individuals are the ones defending the Salvation Army.

They have their issues - as do most fundamentalist Christian groups. BUT as far as feeding the homeless and offering emergency aid (with the possible exception of housing trans individuals), they do not make their aid dependent on gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation.

Most places segregate housing by gender - and I can imagine the Salvation Army might refuse to house a transgender personto avoid making a decision about gender - I have no personal experience as to that narrow question. But as to the broader question about aid exclusive of housing my experience is the same as yours - for more than 3 decades. Aside from my grandfather (who was a bell ringer), when we had a major LGBT conference in the early 80s - catered by a gay man with AIDS and had food left over, we didn't want to toss the food - but most places will not accept opened, fresh-cooked food. We asked the Salvation Army about it - telling them exactly where the food was coming from, and they welcomed the donation with open arms.

Perhaps we should focus on either regularly serving meals (rather than spitting on those who do) and on providing housing for those the existing shelters do not serve well (and it's not just Salvation Army that that stumbles on the housing issue).

[cwydro]

38. Exactly.

Thank you for this.

[Grasswire2]

2. Sorry, not true.

Bell ringers will give you a card today explaining the origin of this false story. It's simply not true.

And that's all I am going to post about that.

[RAB910]

3. I don't think that is the case

https://thinkprogress.org/salvation-army-refuses-housing-shelter-to-transgender-woman-2660c79b4cd4/


https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/heres-your-yearly-reminder-to-avoid-donating-to-the-salvation-army-this-holiday-season/


https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2017/07/salvation-army-busted-discriminating-transgender-people/

[MineralMan]

4. When did thinkprogress.org start running ads for clickbait sites?

Feh! Last time I visit them.

[pecosbob]

8. I dropped them as a daily stop a while back

I began to question some of the content and timing of articles. While reporting on events they seem to to throw a both sides angle at many issues that bothers me.

[genxlib]

10. Matters not

They shut down months ago. The website is still up but they haven't posted any new content since 9/4

[MineralMan]

11. Ah, OK. Thanks. I did not know that.

[genxlib]

12. They have announced that they are coming back as something else.

https://www.thewrap.com/thinkprogress-relaunched-three-days-after-shut-down-staff-laid-off/

But nothing new has surfaced. Sounds like they are just looking to aggregate and opinionate rather than do original journalism.

But that was also announced months ago and I haven't seen any evidence of it appearing. However, that does explain why they are keeping the site active.

[cate94]

5. The Salvation Army has been extremely homophobic for years.

This year they say they are trying to rectify that. I’ll believe it when their changes have been in place and witnessed by members of my community.

[DENVERPOPS]

14. Amen to that FL

They are a quasi, pseudo, military structured band of bible thumpers..........

I give to groups that are doing a great job, charities that don't care about all the things that the Republicans scorn and the people they drag thru the dirt relentlessly to build themselves up and to rally up their crowd to get donations and drive them to get out and vote. You know, the never ending: Gays, Guns, God, routine.

[LuvNewcastle]

26. Yes, they have been.

I worked out at a SA Center for a while when I was living in another town and I heard some of their teachings and beliefs. They will tell you that they emphasize the 'Salvation' part of their name, which means that their primary focus is on gaining converts to their brand of fundagelical Christianity. Basically, they're Southern Baptists in uniforms. Since I don't wish to see groups like that growing, I don't give. There are other people who give aid to the poor but they don't turn certain people away. I'll give to those organizations.

[AtheistCrusader]

16. Sorry, true, and your drive-by un-sourced mis-information doesn't fool anyone.

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2017/07/salvation-army-busted-discriminating-transgender-people/

[Takket]

6. When your policy is so bad even Chick Filet won't donate to you anymore...

You know you are fucked up.

I feel bad for all the years I donated not knowing their true nature. Now I donate to other causes.

[bronxiteforever]

7. +1 me as well.

[pangaia]

9. They solicit inside the lobby of my local PO !!!

Why is this allowed ?

I wouldn;t give those jerks a fucking pair of old socks. much less $$$.

[CaptYossarian]

13. As you walk by, say "Is there anything more gay than the sound of a bell?"

Right wingers have weak minds, so you can have fun so easily with them.

It's like when I remind them Trump had to be talked out of aborting Tiffany.

[Grasswire2]

27. right wingers?

what makes you think that?

[CaptYossarian]

37. Because people on the left are more tolerant. That's why we're

more "liberal", or open-minded. The right wing of our population is bigoted against women, LGBTQ, other forms of religion, and non-whites. I've probably left out others, like the overweight and people with disabilities, but in talking tp people all my life, right wingers are most likely to use pejorative words/slurs when discussing folks that are different in some way from them.

[BigDemVoter]

15. Those bell ringers can fuck off.

I usually tell them WHY I am not giving them money.

[Iggo]

29. I just say, "Nope."

[OhioBlue]

34. They are volunteers from all walks of life and beliefs. I have seen liberals and conservatives

wealthy and homeless, old and young, devout and agnostic all ring bells in my community. The volunteers ringing bells are doing it for the most part with good intentions. Our local SA does a lot of good for low income people and I have never witnessed nor heard of them turning anyone away.

[George II]

17. Not true:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/salvation-army/

[RAB910]

18. Your fact check is for someone in SA saying Homosexuals deserve to die

This is about their bigotry against transgendered people


There seems to be plenty of sources, and here are a few, that support those claims


https://thinkprogress.org/salvation-army-refuses-housing-shelter-to-transgender-woman-2660c79b4cd4/


https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/heres-your-yearly-reminder-to-avoid-donating-to-the-salvation-army-this-holiday-season/


https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2017/07/salvation-army-busted-discriminating-transgender-people/

[dsharp88]

19. No, Snopes rates SA as 'Mixed" as to mandating death to all LGBT, not "False"

In any case, SA is extremely anti-LGBT, and calls for all in that community to practice celibacy. In that case, they might let them live.

[Karadeniz]

20. That is appalling...sorry to learn this about them.

[cwydro]

31. It's not true.

Please see others’ posts debunking this, an my post #30 if you want to see the good they do.

[abqtommy]

21. The SA was very, very good to me back in 1996. I had just been released from jail and they

provided me with 2 bags of groceries and 10 days residence in a local motel at no cost to me. That
really helped me get myself together. At no time was I asked if I were trans or gay and that's why I
always donate to them at this time of year. I respect the right of other people to feel differently but in
light of my experience I'd say the final word on the SA hasn't been written yet.

[Grasswire2]

22. Uncountable millions of people (in the most desperate straits, many) have been helped by the SA.

Thank you for your first-person perspective, and I wish you the very best for your future. In my work as an editor, I have had the fortune to read 12,000 letters sent directly to me by prisoners (before I stopped counting them). The Salvation Army is one resource many rely on when released. For shelter assistance, for job placement, for food assistance, counseling, referrals to services. No one is turned away as a matter of practice or policy.

[Blue_true]

25. I don't have the level of insight that you do.

But based upon chance encounters and observations, I have not see the local SA turn anyone away.

[Blue_true]

24. I donate to the organization too.

By chance I met a female couple a couple years ago at the local library. I was on my laptop writing a business document and they were using the free computers that the library offers. They had a young baby, I assume one of them was the mother. They were not afraid to let people see their relationship, even in my red county. I briefly struck up a conversation with one of them and at some point found that the SA and a local charitable ministry were helping them get on their feet with temporary housing until one or both found jobs. So, it is all a mixed bag for me, I donate because the organization, at least the local one seems to only see people in need, not other aspects of those people's lives.

[cwydro]

32. Thank you. They've helped many that I know of too.

This bs happens every year.

[lunasun]

28. I would never bother the bell ringers.Round here most are seasonal temp workers hired at a $1 or so

over minimum wage and are just working .
Do not have to give money to the kettle
but I wont hassle the low paid help standing out in a Chicago winter needing to ring a bell for some cash about working for SA

https://www.indeed.com/salaries/Bell-Ringer-Salaries-at-The-Salvation-Army
Average- The Salvation Army Bell Ringer hourly temp pay in the United States is approximately $9.10-$9.50

[lunatica]

33. Yeah, I've avoided giving to them for years because

of their anti gay crap.

I had wondered lately if someone with more heart has come along to change that. I guess not. It’s really a crime to turn someone in real need away over some ‘morality’ excuse.

[kelly1mm]

36. I always donate to them whenever I have extra change. They did an extended family member

a solid and I have to respect them for that. I do not have to agree with EVERYTING and organization does to see the good they do.

[CaptYossarian]

39. All this discourse is the result of them being "outed" by Chick-Fil-A.

Don't you love irony?

[Ms. Toad]

40. It's been a discussion every year since long before Chick-Fil-A

became an LGBT issue.

[CaptYossarian]

41. I'm always late to the party.