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Is the Salvation Army's Anti-Gay Stance Driving Down Donations? |
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Written by Jonathan Higbee |
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
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| Tags: salvation army, homophobia, d-bags, boycotts, holidays |
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The Salvation Army's decision to pick and choose which parts of the Bible it injects into its policies (guess which passage from Leviticus it has chosen?) have turned off possible donors this year in Chicago, according to LGBT activists.
While the Salvation Army attributes it's 13% drop in holiday donations to the recession and bad weather in the region, Andy Thayer, co-founder of the Gay Liberation Network, believes the group's antiquated homophobia is to blame. "You can say you are the nicest Christian organization in the world, but if you are sending a message that some people are more equal than others--that is not acceptable," he says.
Thanks to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle highlighting Salvation Army's anti-gay policies in 2009, donations in the Bay Area fell that year as well.
Still, the Christian organization is attempting to downplay its phobia and the resulting impact it has on its ability to attract charity.
"[The anti-gay scripture] is intended for our church members or those who are interested in our church," says a Salvation Army spokesperson who goes on to say that the group helps out folks in need, whether gay or straight.
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