Yes, but in this case, you have an option that is not evil at all: donate to a charity that doesn’t actively discriminate.
Exactly, it’s about standing by and letting it happen. Actually, worse: actively (financially) supporting discrimination.
Maybe you could ask actual LGBT people (or the people who know them) who have been turned away by the Salvation Army?
Since the link provided by the OP didn’t provide any cites, I did a bit of digging around. They are indeed actively anti-gay rights and I cannot support that.
I haven’t dropped money in the kettles since then, although it makes me sad not doing so.
No, I don’t. Like I said twice above, when the other charities are outside ringing bells, then I’ll help. Am I saying that I’m too lazy to support gay rights? Well, yeah, maybe, but it’s really about priorities. Helping those in need is more important to me than gay issues. That’s not to say that I don’t believe in freedom – I do. I won’t go seeking petitions for allowing gay marriage in Michigan, but if they’re standing in front of Meijer on my way in, I’ll sign. I guess I’m just an evil monster. :rolleyes:
Yeah! And why haven’t you developed a cure for AIDS yet either? And also, prostate cancer kills millions, and yet, I don’t see you healing any prostates.
Seriously, I’m a gay man. I am a huge supporter of gay rights. People choosing to donate to the SA does not upset me in any way. They do a lot of good, and they happen to be homophobic. If you spent your who life worrying about whether or not a single dollar of yours went into the hands of a homophobic person or organization, you’d be worried to death and you’d never be able to spend money anywhere.
Partly inspired by the various offenderatti upthread, I just put $15 in a Salvation Army kettle at the supermarket, where my purchases were rung up by a very polite, very obviously gay cashier, and I didn’t even bother to publicly castigate him for his wonton, shameful lifestyle or his deviant desires.
drewtwo99 makes a good point below your post. Still, I wish you’d think about what you just said. You’re not an evil monster, but laziness is no excuse for supporting discrimination. You could apply the same logic to a different group: “Well, the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen turns away blacks, but they really do a powerful lot of good for those hungry whites, and that’s important to me.” But as you say, maybe gay issues just aren’t that important. It’s not like we’re real people or anything.
Only the circumcised ones.
Well, helping straight people in need, anyway.
So, from this thread you learned that this organization both engages in political work to systematically deny LGBT people the rights straight, cisgender people take for granted, and you saw examples of it denying charity to people because they’re queer, including that couple that they separated by them. You donated to this group specifically to stick it to those bad queers who have the nerve to get “offended” over being the targets of discrimination. And then you proceeded to demand credit for not having deliberately attacked someone because you assume he is gay.
Sad to say, I guess this is probably the best possible outcome of homophobia but I’ll still sit here and hope three ghosts come by to teach you what this season is about, because man.
[QUOTE=Dr. Drake]
But as you say, maybe gay issues just aren’t that important. It’s not like we’re real people or anything.
[/QUOTE]
Of course LGBT people are real people. We just don’t matter enough for it to be important that this organization apparently has a spotting record of helping us when we’re in need. But it does great work to help needy straight, cisgender people.
The logic being used by some in this thread to defend giving money to what is demonstrably a homophobic, bigoted, and discriminatory organization is illuminating. “But I have to. They have those red kettles.”
It is stupid easy to find charities to give to in the holiday season. Practically every grocery store or mall will have a box to donate food supplies or toys into, or will let you add $5 to your receipt to donate to a local food pantry. Hell, shove a few bucks into the Ronald McDonald House donation box that they have at every single McDonald’s drive-through window. They help needy people while miraculously managing not to be discriminatory. Claiming that you have to donate to the SA because donation is super important to you but only if the means of donation is really easy and convenient is a load of crap. Just have the stones to come out and say, “I don’t give a shit about discrimination against gay people.”
Agreed. Instead, you should let your judgment be led by their rampant homophobia, hate, and bigotry.
Amen.
So, helping those in need is more important than gay issues? It would be nice if the stinking SA believed the same goddamed thing.
Instead, they care more about gay issues than they do about helping those in need. There is no other way to interpret their taking the the people they were being paid to help in NYC hostage to fight for their homophobic agenda.
If you want to support them anyways, that’s your choice. Just don’t go doing it and claim you give a flying fuck about freedom, civil rights, or common fucking decency. You’ve just proven you don’t.
Actually, no, I’ve not proven that. Your argument is faulty, and additionally you’re arguing against their freedom to do as they please. While I don’t agree with 100% of their agenda, I also favor their freedom to promote their agenda. But that’s a different argument.
No, that would be excessively complimentary. What you are, instead, is to lazy to not help discriminate against gays. Neutrality would be a step up for you.
Your mother’s argument is faulty!
Seriously, you want to take five to explain why it’s faulty, or should we just take your word for it?
So totally different, in fact, that it has nothing to do with anything that’s been said in this thread, by anyone.
I think the formal name for this particular argument is the “Look! A bear!” fallacy.
No, I’m arguing against actively supporting them as they exercise their freedom to be fucktards. If I were arguing against their ability to promote their agenda I’d start talking about gag orders, or suppressing them a la the Mormons in the nineteenth century.
They have exercised their freedoms to do as they wish, including holding the poor people they claim to help hostage, and so I exercise my freedom to act by refusing to support them, and telling others just what sort of hypocrisy they practice.
They have their freedom to act as they wish. They also should reap the just rewards of the actions they have chosen.
They lost me as a supporter when they campaigned in NZ against decriminalising homosexuality.
I am constantly amazed how many people dont know how fundamentalist they really are.
Otara
I prefer an egg-drop shameful lifestyle, but that’s just me.
No it doesn’t.
According to the National Cancer Institute, 33,720 men are expected to die of prostate cancer in 2011.
So to kill “millions” it will take 59 years. (And that’s assuming no improvements in medical care & treatment for those 59 years.)