With December just around the corner, I have started to see those red Salvation Army donation buckets again. While in general, donating to the less fortunate is a lovely thing to do during the holiday season, I would personally avoid doing so with the Salvation Army.

Though the Salvation Army has denied the fact they hold anti-LGBTI stances, their actions definitely speak louder than words.

Anti-LGBTI history of the Salvation Army

In 2008, trans woman Jennifer Gale was found dead outside a homeless shelter run by the Salvation Army. The reason she froze to death on the street? The Salvation Army refused to shelter her with the other women due to her genitalia. She would have been forced to be housed with cisgender men. It is no surprise that homeless trans women feel unsafe being sheltered with men. This past spring, a transgender woman was sexually assaulted while sleeping at a men’s homeless shelter.

Back in 2016, the Salvation Army refused to back a Safe Schools initiative, which was meant to combat anti-LGBTI bullying.

‘The Salvation Army cannot unconditionally support the Safe Schools programs in Australia in their current form. We believe there needs to be consideration and refinement to the scope and form of implementation,’ their statement read.

Though the Salvation Army initially did back the program, they quickly changed their stance.

The history of the Salvation Army’s anti-LGBTI discrimination traces back to at least the 1980s. In 1986, the New Zealand branch of the charity collected signatures against the Homosexual Law Reform Act, meant to decriminalize gay sex. In 1998, the charity backed out of contracts with the city of San Francisco due to their requirement that contractors must provide spousal benefits to both same-sex partners and opposite-sex partners of employees. The list goes on.

Employee gag order

Most recently, LGBTQ Nation reports, a gag order was put on Salvation Army employees forbidding them from talking about LGBTI issues.

According to Fox News host Todd Starnes, Salvation Army employees ‘have been told to stop posting their opinions about gay marriage, abortion or anything political on social media because it might reflect poorly on the organization.’

‘Political or social opinions (such as hot topic issues like LGBTQ Marriage, Officer Housing, or Abortion) should not be included in profiles. And officers should refrain from posting anything that expresses a political view,’ the guidelines for Salvation Army officers allegedly state.

‘This is a threat to our reputation, our fundraising efforts, and ultimately our ability to serve people in need.’

What can I do?

So instead of donating money or old clothes to the Salvation Army this year, try one of these non-religious, pro-LGBTI charities.

Foundation Beyond Belief

The Ali Forney Center

The Sylvia Rivera Law Project

Housing Works

The Audre Lorde Project

TGI Justice

The Trevor Project

Your local LGBTI center, which you can find here.

More from Gay Star News

Salvation Army denies anti-gay ‘myth’

Salvation Army says unrepentant homosexuals deserving of death

Australian pop star calls for Salvation Army boycott over anti-gay stance