Kory Hurst

Actually 2. The first on December 3rd…

HI Kory,

My apologies for not getting back to you sooner. Things are more than a little busy right now so I haven’t had a chance to properly respond. I will do my best to get back to you properly early next week or sooner.

Many thanks,

[Name Withheld]

Then today…

Hi Kory,

My apologies for the delay in responding to you questions. All are welcome into Salvation Army shelters, regardless of who they are. In addition, The Salvation Army does not discriminate in any way as it relates to its hiring practices. We offer the same benefits to all who work for us, without any form of discrimination.

Lastly, our position on marriage can be found at the following link:

http://www.salvationarmyethics.org/position-statements/marriage/

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Merry Christmas,

[Name Withheld]

Hi [Name Withheld],

I was hoping to catch you before you replied to my previous message. I saw another article suggesting that the Salvation Army is homophobic.

http://www.xtra.ca/public/National/Dont_put_your_pink_dollars_in_Sally_Anns_kettles-9494.aspx

The banning of transsexuals incident is real, but it was 9 years ago, perhaps the position of the Salvation Army has changed. Do you currently have segregated shelters? Can transsexuals choose which shelters they go to? Are any of your shelters open to transsexuals?

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TNUKdigest/message/1676

The links at the bottom of that page, I don’t find particularly damning. Although I would appreciate some further information about your intervention in the Canada v Mossop case. I guess I could presume that the Salvation Army does not support extending benefits to same sex couples, but that would just be a presumption. Does Salvation Army Canada oppose extending benefits to same sex couples?

The other two links I don’t really think related to the Salvation Army’s policy on homosexuality.

I realize that I have given you some detailed and specific questions, and I appreciate you spending the time to try to answer them.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks again,

Kory

Hi [Name Withheld],

Thank you for your prompt reply, and you have alleviated many of my concerns. I really could not believe that any genuine charity in Canada would support any type of unfair hiring practices. The only outstanding issue would be this specific phrasing in the position statement on the US Salvation Army web site.

“Scripture forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same sex. The Salvation Army believes, therefore, that Christians whose sexual orientation is primarily or exclusively same-sex are called upon to embrace celibacy as a way of life. There is no scriptural support for same-sex unions as equal to, or as an alternative to, heterosexual marriage.”

It may be unfair of me to expect that a Christian organization would openly support gay marriage, but I do expect exactly that in Canada. To your knowledge has Salvation Army Canada done anything to actively fight the legality of same sex marriage in Canada?

Is it Salvation Army Canada’s position that “Christians whose sexual orientation is primarily or exclusively same-sex are called upon to embrace celibacy as a way of life”?

Thanks again for your prompt reply, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Kory

Hi Kory,

Thank you for your e-mail and for your interest in the work of The Salvation Army. We have seen these links and we appreciate the opportunity to address any concerns or questions regarding our organization. The Salvation Army in Canada is run independently from The Salvation Army in the United States. As the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in Canada, The Salvation Army provides health care, housing, counseling, food, financial assistance and a vast array of other programs to 1.6 million people each year in Canada. We remain committed to serving anyone who is in need of help without regard to sexual orientation or other factors. All of our social and community services are equally available, without discrimination, to all people and are based only on the need of the individual and our capability to serve.

The Salvation Army upholds the dignity of all people and believes that all are equal in the eyes of God. We firmly oppose the vilification and mistreatment of the GLBT community or any other community. Although The Salvation is also an international Christian church, our faith does not lead us into discrimination but rather is what motivates us in our mission to help anyone who is in need.

Our history speaks for itself, and, The Salvation Army has a long history of working closely alongside people from all communities and serving those in need without discrimination, including those in the GLBT community. We follow these same practices in our hiring and every form of service delivery in over 400 communities across Canada.

I hope this helps clarify the issue. Should you require further information or explanation please do not hesitate to contact me.

All the best to you and yours during the Christmas season!

Sincerely,

[Name Withheld out of courtesy]