The Salvation Army fired me for being bisexual. I can barely afford to feed my child because I lost my job. I need your help so this never happens to anyone else ever again.

When most Americans think of the Salvation Army, they think of the group’s ubiquitous holiday red kettles and bell ringers. But there’s a dark side behind the smiles: the Salvation Army has a long history of attacking the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Just last month, for example, the Salvation Army in Australia was forced to apologize after an official said that the belief that gays must die is part of the group’s “Christian doctrine.”



And now, this: the Salvation Army fired me from my job – the sole means of support for my husband and and my three-year-old daughter -- because of of my sexual orientation.



For the first two months that I worked for the Salvation Army, everything went well. I doubled the number of clients the Salvation Army was able to serve on a daily and weekly basis, and I streamlined the group’s social services programs. My supervisors gave every indication that my work was exemplary.



But last Friday July 20, I raised concerns about sections in the Salvation Army employee handbook relating to sexual orientation and employment discrimination, and came out as bisexual in the process. On Monday, the Salvation Army fired me and ordered me escorted off the premises.

In my exit interview papers they claimed the reason for my termination was because my "personal beliefs and position do not 100% align with the values of the Salvation Army."



My sexual orientation had absolutely no bearing on the job I did or the quality of my work, yet for the Salvation Army, it was reason enough to fire me. The Salvation Army – an organization that claims to be “Doing the Most Good” – chose to harm me and my family simply because I had the courage to be honest.



Firing someone for their sexual orientation is not “good,” it’s wrong. This needs to stop. Join me by signing this petition asking the Salvation Army to end employment discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people now!

After you sign my petition, please read more about my story at Truth Wins Out.