Why I no longer give to the Salvation Army

Don't get me wrong.  I believe the Salvation Army does some wonderful things.  It's on the front lines of helping the poor.  And what would Christmas be without the ringing of the Salvation Army bells?  It's part of the holiday landscape.  And my grandmother was a member of the Salvation Army.  Members of the group were the major speakers at her funeral.

But I haven't given to the Salvation Army for many years now.  Why?  Not only is their money spent on the completely laudable endeavor of helping the poor; it is also spent to lobby against a group of Americans.  Guess who they are?  LGBT people.

The Salvation Army is a religious group.   Let's for the sake of argument state that they have the right to discriminate against LGBT people and not allow them to participate in their outreach.  (Religious groups are exempt from many non-discrimination laws.) It doesn't mean I have to give money to them, especially when my contribution can be used against me since the group will spend at least some of these funds trying to convince my government that I am a sinner not worthy of basic rights.

There are so many other organizations I can contribute to that do the same thing.  I don't have to cut back on my charitable giving in order to give to an organization that respects me as a human being.  And that doesn't then use my money to make sure I'm not treated like everyone else.