Dear Buffalo Sabres, What the Fuck Are You Doing?

Earlier today I retweeted this link about a woman's experiences working with the Salvation Army, and then being dismissed for admitting to being bisexual (even though she is married to a male partner and has a child).  I'm not going to get into the particulars of the story, of which there are many, as it would take me significantly off course.  But there is one specific point I want to touch on.

Buffalo Sabres to Continue Relationship with Salvation Army

In case you missed it, my previous post running through the backstory.

LGBT: What the Buffalo Sabres Could Do Better

As some of you are aware, one of my pet projects has been opening a dialogue with the National Hockey League’s Buffalo Sabres in respect to what they could do to reach out to the LGBT community. Recently I made the point that the Sabres could do better in this regard, prompting someone to ask, how?  That’s a good question, one I had to take a step back and think about. I don’t like being the type to offer complaints without possible solutions, so here they are.

The Salvation Army

Let's get one thing straight, the Salvation Army may do some good work, but they are not a good organization by any stretch of the imagination.  They discriminate against LGBT individuals, and what's worse, they lie about it.

Update: The Buffalo Sabres and the Salvation Army

Some time ago I decided to send a letter to the Buffalo Sabres organization regarding their affiliation with the Salvation Army using the feedback button on their website.  After a week with no response I went to the contact I acquired when I questioned them about their upcoming anti-bullying PSA, their director of community relations.  We had a conversation today that was (I think) a step in the right direction.  Since nothing in that conversation seemed confidential or damning, I will post it in it's entirety after the jump.  My side of the conversation will be in red.

In Which The Salvation Army Asks for Experiences with Red Kettles and Bell Ringers

I went to Tops this Holiday season and noticed a Salvation Army bell ringer out front. He looked rather cold outside of a relatively low traffic grocery store and people were just passing him by. I thought about helping him, perhaps buying him a cup of coffee from the nearby Dunkin Donuts, or dropping some change into his kettle.

But then I remembered, it's a good bet that if our roles were reversed, if I were sitting in front of some storefront, cold and worn out, the Salvation Army probably wouldn't help me. You see, I'm a bisexual and transgendered male, two things the Salvation Army kind of frowns upon. It wasn't that long ago when the Salvation Army threatened to shut down its soup kitchens in New York City if anti-discrimination legislation forced them to help gay people.  And stories of them refusing to help Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered individuals range far and wide.

You see, the Salvation Army would rather help no one, than help someone like me. So I ignored the bell ringer and donated to the Ali Forney Center in New York City, an organization dedicated to helping the city's 3,800 homeless youth, a whopping 40% of which are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgendered. It's a small gesture, but I hope it helps organizations that don't discriminate rise above ones that do, like the Salvation Army.

Letter to the Buffalo Sabres: Part II

I realize I'm a few months late to the party with this, but I'm wondering why the Sabres have chosen to have any affiliation whatsoever with the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army is a discriminatory organization that has not only REFUSED aide to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered individuals, but has also refused to give domestic partnership benefits to their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered employees.

The Salvation Army even went so far as to threaten to shut down their NYC soup kitchens if anti-discrimination legislation forced them to stop turning away Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered individuals. The Salvation army would rather HELP NO ONE than help Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered individuals.

And this is the type of organization that the Sabres have lumped themselves in with. There are plenty of organizations that help the needy without discriminating, like Goodwill and The Rescue Mission. I would urge the Sabres to end it's affiliation with the Salvation Army and pursue partnerships that benefit ALL human beings.