Salvation Army Is Picketed

It was an unusual demonstration. Some of those picketing the Salvation Army in Los Angeles on Wednesday over gay benefits still hoped people would contribute to the charity at Christmastime.

The Salvation Army’s staff, meanwhile, was outside welcoming the demonstrators with doughnuts.

Last month, the Salvation Army’s national headquarters vetoed a decision by its Southern California offices to offer health-care benefits to domestic partners of gay staffers.

The picketers outside the regional headquarters Wednesday, about 20 social workers, gay activists and UCLA students, called for the national decision to be rescinded.

A spokesman for the protesters, Michael Nelson, said he nonetheless thinks people should continue to contribute to the Salvation Army during the holidays.

Not all the demonstrators agreed.

“I think there are a lot of organizations that do what the Salvation Army does, give help to the needy, and still give gay benefits,” said Abigail Caspi of Los Angeles. “We ought to give to them.”

Leaders of the national Salvation Army said they were unwilling to abandon their belief that sex outside marriage is sinful.

At the same time, the Salvation Army follows a nondiscriminatory policy in its charitable donations, including its help to AIDS sufferers in Southern California.

Capt. Kenneth Hodder, general secretary for the regional office, said he persuaded the West Hollywood City Council this week not to urge withholding of contributions to the Salvation Army.

In some parts of the country, there have been reports this year of malls declining to let the Salvation Army solicit contributions because of the gay issue. Hodder said that hasn’t happened in Southern California.