The Salvation Army recently has claimed it does not discriminate, but a recently obtained internal memo makes the truth clear.
Since its inception in 1865, the Salvation Army has been a Christian church and a charity. It is in fact a ministry, but it is best-known for its Christmastime bell ringers who brave the cold to solicit donations on the streets of cities large and small. In recent years, the LGBT community has been at odds with the Salvation Army over its discriminatory practices.Â
As a church ministry, like many Christian denominations, the Salvation Army discriminates against the LGBT community. But as the nation has grown to support same-sex marriage and LGBT civil rights, like many right-wing religious institutions, it has been forced to defend its policies.
Recently, the Salvation Army released a public statement in an attempt to gloss-over its anti-gay discrimination.
“The Salvation Army does not believe that homosexual orientation is a sin,” its Nondiscrimination Communications memo claims. “We emphatically reject accusations of discrimination based on sexual orientation; claims to the contrary are false,” it also states.
“We simply do not discriminate against the people we serve or hire. Our doors are open to all.”
“We serve and hire all people without discrimination.”
Gay blog Queerty was able to obtain an internal memo, however, that dispels these claims. It specifically states that it is the policy of the Salvation Army to discriminate based on its “consistently held spiritual beliefs” – which certainly is its right under the First Amendment, just as it is the right of any American to not donate to the Salvation Army based on those discriminatory beliefs.
“Leadership roles in denominational activities such as teaching or holding local officer roles require certain adherence to consistently held spiritual beliefs,” the internal memo states. “This would apply to any conduct inconsistent with Salvation Army beliefs and would include same-sex sexual relationships.”
In short, anyone employed by the Salvation Army in a leadership role cannot be in a same-sex marriage, nor in any same-sex relationship.
The memo adds that no Salvation Army officer may officiate at a same-sex wedding, and if any officer attends one, they may not wear their uniform.
It also states the “consequences” for breaking these rules “may include termination.”
That certainly sounds like discrimination.
Their right to discriminate is not in question. The First Amendment allows it. But their right to state otherwise seems rather, well, un-Christian.Â
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