salvation army

Home
salvation army

Gay Salvation Army fundraiser now working for AID Atlanta as ‘whole self’

The Georgia Voice Editors
Atlanta
0

images/stories/1-22-13/joeyhelton.jpg

Joey Helton understands why people would question how he, as a gay man with a boyfriend, worked for seven years for the Salvation Army, raising millions of dollars for the religious nonprofit that discriminates against LGBT people.


The Salvation Army has also been accused of not helping gay couples unless they end their relationships and one of its leaders was once quoted as saying gay people deserve to die.

Now working for AID Atlanta since Jan. 2 as development director, Helton, 34, said he is ready to bring his "whole self" to an organization he believes in and he hopes others will not focus on his last job with the Salvation Army.

Don’t give to an ‘Army’ that excludes you

The Georgia Voice Editors
Community
0

They’re a staple of holiday shopping, as ubiquitous as Muzak carols and endlessly repeating “one day” sales: Salvation Army bell ringers stationed just outside store doors, playing on Christmas spirit (and perhaps a little consumer guilt) to get you to drop a few dollars into their ever-present red kettles.

It would merely be a sweet charitable tradition, except that the Salvation Army is no mere charity.

The organization, which conducts numerous programs to aid the poor and others in need, is a militaristic church — a church that does not accept gay people unless we never act on our desire for love and intimacy.