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.

Secretary of State Clinton speaks directly about LGBT rights

A Hate Crime Bill is finally law.....

Yesterday Barack Obama signed into law a hate crimes bill that included LGBT Americans.  This is the result of years of work on the part of the leaders and foot soldiers in the LGBT community. U.S. Attorney General Holder called the bill a “civil rights issue that is clearly a priority.” Wrote Joe Solmonese, Director of the Human Rights Campaign:

    I cannot overstate the importance of this moment. This is the first time ANY federal equality measure     protecting LGBT rights has become law. The very first time. And it is the first federal law to explicitly  protect transgender people. It is a touchstone in our movement, a triumph of what is right. And I truly feel things will never be the same.

    Also significant is that the law will now permit federal authorities to assist local governments in hate crime investigations, assistance that was sorely needed after the death of Matthew Sheppard, the gay man who was brutally murdered and left to die in a field ten years ago.  At last, the federal government has acknowledged the unique nature of crimes that target citizens because they are LGBT.  It is time to celebrate.
    So why am I not feeling very celebratory?  I get it.  I get how huge a moment this is.  I know that yesterday was a landmark in LGBT history.   I am deeply appreciative to all those who made it happen.  Yet I hear this voice that says, “Isn’t this just the beginning?  How long can you celebrate the fact that it is now officially illegal to target people because of their sexual or gender orientation?  Isn’t mandated tolerance a pretty low bar for acceptance?”
    It is up to all of us to make sure this bar is raised higher and higher.  We need to remember those who are LGBT in Uganda, where a law is being considered that would make some gay sexual activity punishable by death.  We need to remember the two gay Iranian teenagers who were put to death a few years ago because of who they were.  We need to remember the thousands of gay teenagers who kill themselves each year in the United States. 
    So yes, huge congratulations and profound thanks are due.  Now it’s time to continue the work.