Now Pete Buttigieg comes under fire from gay activists for volunteering with the Salvation Army

Pete Buttigieg is facing backlash from the LGBTQ community and gay activists after images of him previously volunteering with the Salvation Army circulated online this week.

Out.com, an outlet focused on LGBT issues, published an article to is News section on Tuesday titled, ‘Pete Buttigieg Volunteered for the Homophobic Salvation Army.’

The 2020 openly gay candidate volunteered in 2017 to be a ‘bell ringer’ stationed at a Salvation Army donation post, which pops up in several public locations around Christmastime.

The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organization, and due to its status as a church, the Salvation Army can legally inquire into people’s religious beliefs in the hiring process, which could include someone’s sexuality.

Pete Buttigieg (right) faced criticism from the LGBTQ community and gay activists for his past volunteer work with The Salvation Army. Here he is pictured in 2017 participating in the Red Kettle Ring Off

The criticism stems from the fact that Buttigieg is openly gay – pictured here with his husband Chasten – and The Salvation Army's past of supporting legislation that could be viewed as anti-gay

The criticism stems from the fact that Buttigieg is openly gay – pictured here with his husband Chasten – and The Salvation Army’s past of supporting legislation that could be viewed as anti-gay

The organization says it does not ‘discriminate against hiring gays and lesbians for the majority of its roughly 55,000 jobs,’ but has in the past supported legislation that would allow it to deny employment and its federally-funded services to LGBTQ individuals.

Activists for LGBTQ issues have denounced Buttigieg’s actions on social media.

‘I know the photos are two years old, but still, I can’t help but wonder if Mayor Pete just looks at what LGBTQ activists have been working on for years and then chooses to spite it (e.g. Salvation Army, Chick-fil-A, queer media in general, etc.),’ tweeted Zach Ford, press secretary for the Alliance for Justice, with a link to the Out story.

Buttigieg is a devout Christian, and often claims in his stump speeches how he feels Republicans have claimed Christianity as their own.

‘God does not belong to any political party,’ the South Bend, Indiana mayor tells supporters.

The pictures of Buttigieg volunteering with The Salvation Army are from 2017 when he was part of the Red Kettle Ring Off, an annual charity where local South Bend officials raise money for the organization.

The Salvation Army is a Christian organization, and Buttigieg is Christian. He often says religion and God doesn't just belong to the Republican Party

The Salvation Army is a Christian organization, and Buttigieg is Christian. He often says religion and God doesn’t just belong to the Republican Party

The Christmas Kettle, or Red Kettle, is The Salvation Army’s most famous fundraising campaign. During the Christmas season, volunteers stand outside of businesses and play or sing Christmas carols or ring bells to inspire passersby to place donations inside the red buckets.

Buttigieg is the first openly gay major Democratic presidential candidate – and the only gay individual out of the 15 Democrats running in the 2020 primary.

He has recently been surging in early voting state polls, topping polls in Iowa and New Hampshire last month, and has even hit double digits in some national polls. He regularly polls as one of the top five most popular candidates among likely Democratic voters.

It appears that Buttigieg has angered some of his strongest supporters – those within the LGBTQ community.

Other Democrats, however, have also aligned themselves with The Salvation Army in the past.

Senator Cory Booker tweeted in 2013 that he had visited the location in Atlantic City, New Jersey and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren held a presidential campaign event at a Salvation Army in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Former President Barack Obama invited leaders of The Salvation Army to the Oval Office in the summer of 2014.

Other alleged actions against the LGBTQ community came from several homeless transgender women who have reported that The Salvation Army has denied them shelter.

Also in an interview in 2012, a media relations director for one of the Army’s Australian branches, insinuated the gay people should die.

‘According to the Salvation Army, [gay people] deserve death. How do you respond to that, as part of your doctrine?’ a gay journalist questioned.

‘Well, that’s a part of our belief system,’ Major Andrew Craibe said at the time.

‘So we should die,’ the host asked.

‘You know, we have an alignment to the Scriptures, but that’s our belief,’ Craibe said.

Fast forward to present day, and the organization’s website has a section devoted to the LGBTQ community, which includes push back on allegations of homophobia.

In an interview with Out last month, The Salvation Army’s Director of Communications David Jolley said that the group has implemented reforms that prove its dedication to helping people regardless of sexual orientation.

‘If anyone needs help, they can find it through our doors,’ Jolley said. ‘Unfortunately, as a large organization, there have been isolated incidents that do not represent our values and service to all people who are in need.’

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