J
ust one month after the Salvation Army apologized for an Australian official who said the belief that gays must die is part of the group’s “Christian doctrine,” a former Salvation Army caseworker in Burlington, Vermont is alleging that the organization terminated her employment – which provided the sole means of support for her husband and their three-year-old daughter – because of her sexual orientation.
Danielle Morantez, 26 (and, in the interest of full disclosure, a friend of the author), claims that the Burlington Corps of the Salvation Army fired her on Monday after she raised concerns with her supervisors about sections in the Salvation Army employee handbook relating to sexual orientation and employment discrimination, coming out as bisexual in the process. At press time, neither the Burlington Corps nor the Salvation Army’s Northern New England Divisional Headquarters would agree to comment on Morantez’s claims.
These allegations appear to be the latest disturbing chapter in the Salvation Army’s history of anti-LGBT discrimination. If confirmed, this would be a huge black mark against the organization. After all, harming someone’s family simply because that person had the courage to be true to themselves is vindictive and mean-spirited and goes against the Christian values the Salvation Army professes.
In a personal statement given to Truth Wins Out and posted in partnership with the Bilerico Project, an LGBT blog, Morantez noted that her employers gave her every indication that her work was exemplary, but that after the Salvation Army learned she was bisexual, they terminated her immediately and ordered her supervisors to escort her off the premises.
“I’d like the Salvation Army to explain to my three-year-old daughter how they can justify their reprehensible actions in light of the Salvation Army’s pledge to do ‘the most good,’” said Morantez. “Firing someone for being bisexual doesn’t sound like doing ‘the most good’ to me. It sounds like a tragic failure.”
And of course because they pretend to be a church (instead of the charity they really are), they are exempt from any and all non-discrimination laws.
They ARE a church. Like it or not. And much as I’d like this English organization to have to register all its people as “agents of a foreign power,” it ain’t happening.
They aren’t in any way, shape of form a real church. They just claim to be for legal purposes. It allows them to have many financial and legal benefits that couldn’t have as an ordinary charity.
Well…Steve, they do have congregations that worship together, and I know Salvation army members who are not involved in any of their charitable endeavors. I dont care for them, but, they do fit the definition of a church by American legal standards.
So much for “We don’t oppose gays and bisexuals, we just oppose their behavior.” She was married to a man, she wasn’t indulging in any same sex sex, they fired her for who she is, not what she does.
Of course they’re a church. They’ve been a church for over a century.
The Salvation Army has never been secretive about their policies toward LGBT people. Their policy is just as narrow and bigoted as some other “Christian” churches.
Why would you be involved, in any way, with an organization that codifies their distaste and hatred of you and then get angry when they turn on you?
She chose to work there, knowing their beliefs and their policies. I don’t think its fair to be persecuted for your beliefs, but honestly what does she expect when she CHOSE to work for an establishment that has been so vocal and open about not supporting LGBT. It seems like grasping at straws to make it into a case of discrimination when she walked into the situation knowingly and willingly.
Jane, even if you know you’re going into a situation where you’ll be discriminated against that doesn’t mean its not discrimination when it happens.
In #8, Jane may as well have said,
“She chose to get on that bus, knowing the bus company’s beliefs and their policies. I don’t think its fair to be persecuted for your beliefs, but honestly what does she expect when she CHOSE to sit in a front seat of a bus belonging to a company that has been so vocal and open about not supporting equality for blacks. It seems like grasping at straws to make it into a case of discrimination when Rosa Parks walked into the situation knowingly and willingly.”
This kind of crap is why I stopped contributing to the Salvation Army several years ago when I learned of their bigotry.
They are a bigoted church and no one should support them. I am sorry that Morganetz was fired, but it should not have come as a surprise to her. I hope she will be able to find better employment soon.
I know the Salvation Army and it’s discriminatory policies stink big time, but I feel that the better part of common sense for her would have been to keep your job by keeping your mouth shut. You’ve been with them for awhile and your work was praised as exemplary so you knew and worked under these policies for that time. If your job is the sole support of your family and obviously much needed, then consider the reality of that before you blow the whole thing by deciding to reveal something about yourself that will get you fired.
In this instance, she worked with it, lived with it, and made a choice to put her livelihood at risk and got bitten. Better she should have lined up a new job before putting her present job on the line.
I do not support the Sally ann since leaningof their stance on hospice… not for LGBTQ!!! Like ALL churches and charities: you must EARN my money by supporting my community… WHY would she even apply there??? It was never going to last or end well…
Read her personal statement — it explains her situation and how she ended up employed at the Salvation Army.
This is why I stopped donating to SA years ago; at Christmas time, I tell the bell-ringers that unless and until the SA ceases stigmatizing and discriminating against LGBTs, they won’t receive a single penny from me…
[...] this week, TWO’s John Becker reported exclusively about Danielle Morantez, a 26-year-old Vermont mother who was fired by the Salvation [...]
God doesn’t exist, yet he is the root of most suffering in the world.
I believe in the right to religious bigotry-that said, practice that nuttiness within your religious community-don’t advertise services to the general public-like after-school programs; child care and adult ed programs as well as teen and family rec centers such as those here in Boston, MA. I’ve spoken to a few of the staff-they aren’t members of the Army; they saw an ad for job openings for youth workers.
While I may agonize over the plight of minors-even teens-whose parents subject them the worship experience with bigots-specifically teens and children who are hiding their sexual preference out of fear of reprisal, for example, I’m powerless over that situation. There’s a ton of info on what happens to children/teens who have to hide there true sexual preferences, it ain’t hard to find, as well as, the horrifying numbers of kids who end up in foster care when parents think they are gay or bi-sexual.
However, here in Boston, we have tax dollars and/or in-kind services that go to support the supposed secular activities of Salvation Army-we have a $20Million Kroc Center-paid for by recycling Kroc (McDonald’s founding family) Foundation money-my community buys Big Macs and gets type 2 diabetes in droves; the Krocs put a ton of the that dough into a foundation that largely supports Salvation Army activities-so 400 kids and families from one of the least developed places in USA -parts of Roxbury and Dorchester, MA get to pay a handsome fee to exercise and play. I’ve heard that many families membership fees are subsidized,in truth. I paid $85 a month for 2 adults; one teen.
Still,what a world!
As a lesbian former member and employee of the SA, I can confirm that the SA is a real church with real congregations, ministers, and worship services that are very similar to any other church service. I decided to leave before coming out because I simply didn’t want to be involved with them any more. The SA is open about being an evangelical church. Its policies and views on sexuality are pretty much the same as those of any other evangelical or Baptist church. This doesn’t make their views and policies any less reprehensible, but they are not at all secretive about them. The SA still does an incredible amount of legitimate humanitarian work and disaster relief. However, if you support gay rights, support a non-religious humanitarian organization.
Interesting debate to say the least… I believe in separation of Church and State but once you start employing people does your belief system as a church trump discrimination laws?
Could I theoretically start a church/business and use that angle to shield my tax burdens and only hire straight, white, christian men??
i was fried from the chicago arc and now in the dept of EEOC in the last stages of the system
This sounds like b******t to me. There are discrimination laws and being that we live in a litigious society, I would be more interested in hearing what kind of legal action she is taking. Furthermore, in the interest of full disclosure, I would be interested in seeing her termination papers and comments from mgt.
Pearl Necklace:
We have reviewed the papers, they are fine. She is exploring legal options. The Salvation Army is refusing to comment at this time and allowing her coworkers to speak.
But the fact you would demean her circumstances makes you a jerk.
All too often, gay people try to force what they want on others. Forget that the Salvation Army is an established organization that has been around for years and their beliefs have been a part of their organization since the onset. Why must we continually try to change a person’s beliefs opposed to rejecting their beliefs. The bible reads what it reads. It is not difficult to understand. I cannot say that it doesn’t read what it read. I’d rather not accept what it express and move on to something that support me. I am a gay man. I am not bias. I think that it is imposing that anyone is going to force their belief on others. Haven’t we been through that enough. Gay people have now become the slave master (bigots) and tricked themselves in being justified.
b******t Sherman. We are under no obligation to give bigots a free pass just because they hide behind religion while they attack us. This woman wasn’t even living “a gay lifestyle”. Her termination is purely because of her sexual orientation. How have we become the bigots when we still don’t have employment protections everywhere, when we still can’t guarantee our ability to protect our families, when our children are still being bullied to death, when we still make up forty percent of America’s homeless youth? “Belief” does not protect anyone from criticism and we have every right to call out organizations like the Salvation Army when they do something patently bigoted.
Firing someone when their Mission states “non-discrimination due to sexual orientation” and then rescinds that in a state recognizing gay marriage? Let the monies roll for legal defense, folks. Let’s get the Tea Party’s tongues clacking on this one. Also, let’s hear Mitt’s response to this one.
Straight male with ‘queer’ friends and supporting them, their lives, relationships AND children.
Thank you to the intelligent posters on this blog, especially RP, you’ve made me feel empowered. I love a good debate!
Petitioning your bi-sexuality might make sense on your strip club application, but the corporate and not-for-profit organizations usually hope to hire office skill, education and work experience. Weird, huh?
When you really get that all figured out, life will begin to make better sense to you. NEWSFLASH: Almost every male born was a product of women’s bisexual behavior, girls quite the opposite. So, the subject isn’t new and you aren’t the who-ha of the what-what.
You seem to have learned why you were fired, now it’s just a matter of memorization. :)
And how does her bisexuality affect her office skill, education, and work experience KD?
She was fired for who she is; not what she has or has not done; as noted by many previous comments. I would sincerely love to be able to monitor the sexual proclivities of prominent wealthy conservative Christians, catch them at something, & broadcast it loudly, with evidence. For the religious right; I have good news & bad…..the good news is that their beliefs are protected by law, ….the bad news?o are mine, cupcakes.
It seems there is a lot of assuming that everyone is aware of their practices. Wrong. She has opened thousands of eyes including myself that were unaware. I have read of late of many that had worked for them not realizing their practices. Myself, over 40 yrs of giving never knew they were a church but instead just thought of them as an organization for helping people as Red Cross or the many others. The only thing I do know, not assume, is because of her there will be less givers when they ring those bells.
wait.. one key sentence in this article is “If confirmed, this would be a huge black mark against the organization.” IF CONFIRMED???? WTF? Is this fox news?