Salvation Army Promotes Gay-Inclusive Substance Abuse Treatment Program

The Salvation Army continues to rehabilitate its anti-gay image. And largely it seems to be financially based. Every year, they complain that donations are down. Of course, it doesn't help that many people don't carry cash anymore. Then again, those who want to financially support the Salvation Army can certainly donate to them online. But every time I read an article about the Salvation Army on Facebook or elsewhere, it quickly gets bogged down by people who push back against its history of ant-gay discrimination.

The Salvos have been working hard for a few years to overcome that anti-gay image. For example, they have been promoting videos for a few years about unique (and seemingly helpful and affirming) programs for LGBTQ people in need. And they recently caught a lot of flack from conservatives over an internal warning to Salvo officers to stop posting negative statements about same-sex marriage and other hot-button social media.

I noticed that the Salvation Army posted a video earlier today about Harbor Light Center. It's a shelter in San Francisco that offers shelter and substance abuse treatment for addicts. The video focuses on a man named Jonathan, a gay man who needed help overcoming a meth addiction and housing insecurity. Jonathan eventually graduated from Harbor Light Center and transitioned to work and an apartment. He appears to be happily partnered and very satisfied with his past experiences with the Salvos. In fact, he's now on the advisory board for the Harbor Light Center.

If nothing else, it provides hope to those in the LGBTQ communities and our supporters that the Salvation Army is making changes even if there are elements to the Salvos who continues to hold firm to anti-gay and discriminatory theology.

You can watch the entire six-minute video about Jonathan here.