For Immediate Release
December 12, 2003
Contact: R. Zeke Fread
Coordinator & Organizer
Tampa Bay Coalition
Boycott Salvation Army for
Their Discriminatory Workplace Policies
With the holiday season coming soon, the Salvation Army
will have their donation kettles placed
in locations throughout your community. Since 2001,
Tampa Bay Coalition has joined with other
groups and organizations across
the nation in continued support of the boycott of the Salvation
Army. The purpose for the boycott is to send them a
message that their discriminatory polices in
hiring, promoting and firing of
gay people, and in the benefits they provide their employees is
unacceptable. And as a way
to persuade them to establish a new policy that would promote full
equality for all employees of
the Salvation Army. It is a shame that for years they
have ignored
any
and all requests and pleas by
thousands of people nationwide to establish a new non-discriminatory
policy in the workplace.
In July of 2001 the Washington
Post revealed, that the Bush Administration was approached by
The Salvation Army
in
an attempt to
broker a backroom deal that would have overrule state and
local laws banning
anti-gay
discrimination in the workplace. This action infuriated Tampa Bay
Coalition, many
other groups and organizations
and members of the general public nationwide.
It is a shame
that for
years they have ignored
any and all
requests and pleas by thousands of
people across the
nation to establish a
new
non-discriminatory policy in the workplace. And that
it has lead to the withholding of donations in
an effort to
pressure
them to
do
so.
TBC has created the "Tampa
Bay
Coalition
Salvation
Army
Protest Pages"
to promote the
boycott.
Posted in these
sections of TBC's website includes: Reasons for the Boycott, Related
News Articles, Protest
Donation Message,
Boycott
Donations Banners,
Action Alerts, Media &
Press Releases,
Salvation Army
Contact Information.
And a section with a Selection of Protest
Notes Or Queer Dollars
Images to
Print Out, and be placed in the Salvation
Army Kettles.
TBC is asking that you support us, and the many other
groups and organizations in nationwide
boycott of withholding the
donations to the Salvation Army. Your donations could be
better put to
use in supporting those groups and organizations with
employment polices that do not promote
employee discrimination. And could lead to persuading the
Salvation Army, to finally establish a
new non-discriminatory in the workplace.
TBC and its members wish you and years a Happy Holiday
Season and a Safe, Healthy and Happy
New Year.
R. Zeke Fread
Coordinator & Organizer
Tampa Bay Coalition
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