Salvation Army Uses Homeless To Fight Gay Benefits

[davidinalameda]

The Salvation Army is threatening to close soup kitchens for tens of thousands of New York's homeless and walk away from other projects if the city enacts legislation requiring firms that do business with New York to offer health benefits to the partners of gay staffers.

The evangelical faith is prepared to give up the $70 million a year in city funding it receives and pull out of New York entirely the New York Post reports.

With soup kitchens, shelters, foster care programs, and HIV services the Salvation Army is one of the largest private aid groups in New York serving some 5 million people annually.

The Salvation Army has several multiyear contracts with the city totaling $250 million. Six city contracts worth $12.8 million are to expire June 30, by which time the bill may be law.

http://chicago.gopride.com/news/article.cfm/ArticleID/1824489

[LynneSin]

1. With $70million being donated let the Salvation Army walk away and give it to someone else

It's not like Salvation Army is the only organization that can do these things. Personally I think the city should just keep the money and create their own organzation that will setup these shelters & soup kitchens.

[David__77]

4. Exactly. There are other groups that can provide the services.

Besides which they are bluffing in all likelihood. They don't want to lose their "franchise."

[ThomCat]

23. That's what I think too. I'd much rather see another group rise up

and grow into their niche, helping people who are homeless but Without Prejudice and Without Dogma.

I have been told repeatedly that the Salvation Army helps everyone, and is such a great organization, and does not discriminate, blah, blah, blah...

When I was homeless they absolutely did ask me what my religion was, even though this is supposedly not allowed. I got no help from them. What are the odds that this had nothing to do with telling them I was Jewish?

I took them off the list of groups I would do volunteer work for, or give money to. There are many other organizations, really good organizations that will put our donations of time and money to good use! It is a waste for any of us to donate someplace with policies that work against us.

Here in Staten Island we have Project Hospitality. I would love to see PH get the funding and support they need to grow. If they took over for Salvation Army, it would be an improvement all around. No loss, unless the religion is an important part of what people think they they are funding and providing to homeless people.

[Occulus]

2. Hate group.

The next time I see one of their little change collectors I just might kick it over on my way by.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Wow. I guess we know where their priorities lie, and it's not truly with helping the needy,

[toddwv]

5. I've already stopped dropping donations into SA pots.

Self-righteous organizations like the SA need to pick up a Bible and read it every now and then with special emphasis on the ACTUAL teachings of Jesus.

[Still a Democrat]

7. Religions, like people, are imperfect

and I certainly wish they were progressive enough to have let go of their anti-gay bigotry by this year of 2010.

That said, calling them a hate group or scorning the genuinely good work they do isn't right. They're driven by a terribly outdated view of gay partnerships and marriage, not viciousness or hate.

It does appear these funds will ultimately be used by someone to benefit the homeless, and for that I am grateful.

[Bluenorthwest]

8. How do you know what is in their hearts?

To do vicious and hateful things out of ignorance is no mitigation to the victims of their bad neighbor policy. Their priorities are clear to see.

[Still a Democrat]

11. So all the work for the homeless was a ruse?

So they could someday blackmail a community to discriminate against gays? Come on.

The great body of their work has been charitable and admirable. It's sad they haven't progressed past this, but let's not misrepresnt their core activities or the motivations for them.

[Bluenorthwest]

16. Way to run around the point.

You claimed to know that their anti-gay activities were not based on hate, but on being out of date. It was that point I addressed, and you know that. As to why they do other things, the top executive salary there is about $250,000. To 'help the poor for Christ'.
I made no 'representation' you did that. You claimed their activities against minorities they don't like were not about hate. I in fact asked how you could speak to their motivations. It was you that represented motives, not I.

[donco6]

17. Bigots are bigots.

They deserve no respect whatsoever.

[joeybee12]

9. They're FAR from perfect when they use the homeless to blackmail the city of Chicago...

because that is exactly what they're trying to do, the pigs.

[Still a Democrat]

12. The city made an ultimatum

I agree their views on gays partnerships and marriage are wrong, but you're standing things on their head as if they suddenly demanded the city discriminate against gays.

[joeybee12]

13. No, it reads thus..."IF the city enacts an ordinance." and the Army is threatening...

they're using that to try and get the city ot back down.

[Still a Democrat]

15. Okay, the city MAY make an ultimatum

Point remains that the SA would not be the party creating an issue is such an ordinance is passed.

I'm not even saying the policy by the city would be wrong. I'm suggesting the vitrol toward the SA in regard to this, as if hateful, anti-gay activity is their primary agenda, is over the top. And any suggestion their good work wasn't done with good intentions is unfounded.

[donco6]

18. So they get a pass because of their "good works."

Pfft. No chance. Their bigotry actually taints all their other works, not the other way around.

[plantwomyn]

20. The road to hell is paved with "good intentions."

And the point remains that the SA created the issue by demanding that they get a waiver in order to continue their discrimination of LGBT people in need. They demand that they be allowed to treat the LGBT population like pariahs. How very "Christian" of them.
This should have been stopped long ago and it proves that EDNA needs to be passed. As long as SA takes taxpayer money they should have to follow federal and state law in their hiring practices. Since when do "good intentions" give anyone a pass to discriminate. The KKK will tell you that they have the "good intention" of racial purity. SA is no different by demanding "sexual" purity in order to feed hungry people. SA's "hateful, anti-gay activity is their primary agenda" for walking away from the needy. I'm not suggesting this, SA stated it as a FACT. SA says "If you pass an ordinance that requires us to treat EVERYONE with equity and respect we will walk away from our "Christian" duty to help those in need." SA is responsible for marginalizing themselves, not the other way around.

[mitchtv]

22. Oh please

defending them isn't right either, nor are their attempts to not service the Gay community, by their discrimination.Hate is hate is hate ;they preach it therefor they are indeed a hate group.

[keepCAblue]

6. Again? I thought they lost this fight already. Bastards never give up...

Remember, it was the Salvation Army that paid a lobbying group $$$$Million dollars to get Rove to intervene on their behalf in exempting the SA from having to offer LGBT employees any partner benefits and be able to fire LGBTs with impunity. Printing up my phony $3 bills today so I can drop them into every muthafu*cking donation pot I see.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

10. this is what happens when we leave huge social problems in the hands of religion

and private sectors and not take care of it ourselves, through our government.

[jonnyblitz]

14. exactly.nt

[Iggo]

19. The city gives them $70 million a year?

Walk, Fuckers!

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RetiredTrotskyite]

24. Let Them Walk Away...

There will always be ways to fill in the gap left by their homophobic abscence.

And it is abhorrent using the poor to try to get a city to not pass legislation for equal benefits for GLBT partners and spouses.

[Withywindle]

25. Classic divide-and-conquer bullshit.

But this tells you all you need to know about the SA as an organization. Sure, they claim to be so very devoted to helping the homeless and hungry--but apparently their hatred of TEH GHEY is a hell of a lot more important to them. So important they'll quickly abandon the mission that they pay lip service to as being GOD'S WORK.

This also tells you all you need to know about the value of giving taxpayer money to "faith-based initiatives" in the hope that they'll replace the function of a real social safety net: FAIL.