Posted on 11/05/2001 8:47:47 AM PST by DeaconBenjamin
Edited on 04/13/2004 2:39:01 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
The Salvation Army announced yesterday it would reverse its policy and offer domestic partners benefits to its workers, a move that will again allow the religious-based social service agency to compete for taxpayer money from San Francisco.
The Salvation Army severed ties with San Francisco city government in 1998 rather than comply with the city's landmark Equal Benefits Ordinance. The law requires city contractors to offer their employees with domestic partners -- gay or straight -- the same benefits as their married co-workers.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Employers With Non-Discrimination Policies That Include Sexual Orientation
Total Number: 2051
Fortune 500 Companies
(Total Number: 294 )
Other Private Companies, Non-Profits and Unions
(Total Number: 1120 )
Colleges & Universities
(Total Number: 343 )
State & Local Governments
(Total Number: 256 )
Federal Government
(Total Number: 38 )
Employers That Include Gender Identity, Characteristics or Expression in Their Non-Discrimination Policy
(Total Number: 24 )
Employers that no longer have LGBT-friendly policies
(Total Number: 11 )
All employers with a GLBT employee group
(Total Number: 219 )
Sadly, this is just one of many respects in which that boast has come true.
Leni
The San Francisco Dream Center is local to San Francisco, but they do great Christian work. I know of this organization because a friend of mine is on the staff. If you are looking for an organization of this type to support, you won't go wrong here.
--Born
I have copied and printed the first few paragraphs of this article:
"The Salvation Army announced yesterday it would reverse its policy and offer domestic partners benefits to its workers, a move that will again allow the religious-based social service agency to compete for taxpayer money from San Francisco.
The Salvation Army severed ties with San Francisco city government in 1998 rather than comply with the city's landmark Equal Benefits Ordinance. The law requires city contractors to offer their employees with domestic partners -- gay or straight -- the same benefits as their married co-workers.
At the time, Salvation Army officials said the law conflicted with the organization's pro-family, Christian beliefs. Now, they say, the thinking is different.
"I don't think there's been a theological shift," said Lt. Col. Bettie Love of the Salvation Army's Golden State Division. "I think there's been a new awareness of our world."
The new awareness hinges on an expanded definition of family. Before, the Salvation Army would allow workers to add only spouses and children to the benefits package. The new policy allows the benefits to be extended to any one adult in the household. That could be a domestic partner, a spouse, a roommate or another family member. "
I will be making multiple copies of this and it is one of those that I will be placing into each of the SA kettles that I will pass this year. I will not harass the ringers; it isn't their fault and they can't do anything about it. However, I agree with the earlier poster ... if many notes protesting this abandonment of principles are placed into the kettles, maybe the higher-ups will get the point.
Until then, I guess, I will donate locally to the church and the local Boy Scout troop.
I was hoping that the low donations this year would send a strong message to them that we are very disappointed in their decision. But I wonder if those in charge didn't decide that the post 9-11 period would be the best time to break the news of their compromise. That way they could blame the drop in donations on the terrorists rather than themselves.
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