If You Care About LGBT People, Ignore Salvation Army Bell Ringers

It is that time of year when, once again, the Salvation Army has bell ringers, costumed as St. Nick, in front of malls and stores across the country, seeking donations.  Be smart about your giving - not all charities treat LGBT folks as equally deserving of help, and the Salvation Army is one such charity.

Despite the organization's stated position on its webpage, the Salvation Army has a history of active discrimination against gays and lesbians. According to ChicagoPride.com and The Bilerico Project, "...not everyone can share in the donations [to the Salvation Army]. Many LGBT people are rejected by the evangelical church charity because they're "sexually impure."

So, if you find yourself feeling charitable this time of year, you may want to consider giving the Salvation Army the one-fingered salute (figuratively speaking, of course) and donate your hard-earned cash to other, more LGBT-friendly charities.

Here is a list of alternatives to The Salvation Army, offered by The Bilerico Project and Huffington Post (2011):

Goodwill
The American Red Cross
Doctors Without Borders
Habitat For Humanity

Queerty.com, a leading LGBT online magazine, also offers up a list of the 5 best LGBT charities.

Editor's Bottom Line:

My bottom line is this - While a self-proclaimed charity can distinguish between those to whom it gives and those it does not, no charity that discriminates should be supported. 

Personally, and with all due respect to Queerty.com and the others linked to above (some of which I happen to support/be on mailing lists), I happen to think that charitable giving - like politics - begins at home.  Being smart about giving - while necessitating that we not support those who are against us - also requires that we not automatically give to charities capable of making headlines or sending out flashy - and expensive -  mailers.  Smart charitable giving begins at your local level. 

Before you give to an organization like The Salvation Army - or even before supporting an organization like the HRC (which is primarily focused on Washington-based, insider political activism) - consult your local volunteer organizations or community list of charities.  I am fortunate to live in a community that has a large, widely-supported volunteer center, matching one's contributions of either time or money to a charity of one's choice, including LGBT charities.

You may not have such an organization.  Nevertheless, before mindlessly dumping cash into any charities coffers, think about supporting your local charities - remembering that, even those whose name's might not immediately indicate that they are LGBT-friendly, may do much to help your LGBT neighbors. 

For example, your local soup kitchens or shelters may be places where LGBT folks gather for basic necessities like food or a warm place to sleep.  These may be places where they receive counseling, HIV/AIDS information/testing, or referrals to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.  These may be welcome places where our brothers and sisters are free - even if just for a night - from the horrors of domestic violence.

For a list of food banks throughout the U.S., you may wish to consult the U.S Food Bank Locator, here.  There is also a U.S. directory of homeless shelters and related social service organizations, here.