This year while running your daily errands, do not succumb to that ringing bell of the Salvation Army. Despite how much the Salvation Army says they love and support those on the LGBT spectrum, every other part of their foundation says the opposite.

In their handbook for the salvationists, aka the bell ringers, the guidelines bring up Romans 1:18-32 as one of their doctrines and beliefs. Romans 1:26-32 states, “For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves to the due penalty for their error…those who practice such things deserve to die.” Meaning that those who are gay deserve death as they are “unnatural” in God’s eyes.

In an interview done by Salt and Pepper radio hosts Serena Ryan and Peter Dillon (who both identify as gay) with Major Andrew Craibe, one of the Salvation Army’s Territorial Media Relations Director, Craibe’s words do not really add up to the narrative of “the Salvation Army loves the gays!” When asked about Romans 1:26-32, he gave a vague yes, but still a yes.

Ryan: According to the Salvation Army, [gay people] deserve death. How do you respond to that, as part of your doctrine?

Craibe: Well, that’s part of our belief system.

Ryan: So we should die.

Craibe: You know, we have an alignment to the Scriptures, but that’s our belief.

 During the interview, he also repeatedly said that being gay was a choice and not genetics, which was met with a quick shut down by the hosts, finding that highly offensive.

 Craibe is not the only homophobic one in the organization. The Salvation Army has not shied away from homophobia at all in their past. As far back as 1986, the foundation has been assisting the push towards discrimination against people from the LGBT spectrum by collecting signatures against the Homosexual Reform Act, which decriminalized sex between adult men in New Zealand. The foreign Salvation Army is not the only one against the gays. In 1998, the Salvation Army of the US turned down $3.5 million in contracts with the city of San Francisco. Why would they turn down so much money that could help so many homeless and senior citizens? They turned it down because of the requirement that city contractors must provide spousal benefits to same-sex partners and opposite-sex partners of employees, stating that they just cannot agree to comply with the requirement.

The LGBT community has already gone through enough. They do not need more suppression from groups like this. The Salvation Army parades around saying that they love and accept gay people, but their back is covered in shredded rainbows. To actually get any help from them, a gay person has to suppress who they are as a person.

This holiday season, please donate to another place and stop funding such a corrupt charity. Instead give to Northwest Harvest, Toys for Tots, or the American Red Cross. Give the gift of a better future this season, including the LGBT community.