Keene State currently has a list of over 100 community partners spanning across 11 different categories.
This list is mostly noncontroversial, but one outlier in the list shows a complete contradiction in Keene State College’s values: The Salvation Army.
Many people may recognize The Salvation Army by the red buckets that appear in front of stores around the holiday season, in which volunteers will ring bells and ask people to donate. What may not be as well known about them, however, is their history of homophobia and terrible working conditions.
According to an article by The Washington Post, in 2001, the Salvation Army lobbied with the George W. Bush administration “to make it easier for governmentfunded religious groups to practice hiring discrimination against gay people.”
Homophobia has long been an issue in the workplace. In 1964, Congress passed The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, native origin and gender. It was not until June 2020 that the Supreme Court held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees against discrimination for being part of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Equinox sees problematic implications to the college’s community partnership with The Salvation Army.
In Keene State College’s Mission, Visions and Values statement is this clause: “At Keene State we will… Respect all individuals and foster a supportive community.”
The Equinox does not feel the values of The Salvation Army align with this statement and the beliefs of Keene State College.
Having the Salvation Army listed on the partners list isn’t explicitly an endorsement although The Equinox feels that it seems like one.
Keene State College has shown that they care about diversity and students belonging to the LGBTQ+ community, so having an endorsement to an organization with such a troubled reputation is not a good look.
The Salvation Army is listed as a Community Partner under the “Hunger & Homelessness” category with four other local organizations. Other partners in the same listing, like the Hundred Nights Shelter, have mission, vision and values statements that more closely align with Keene State. The vision of the shelter, located in downtown Keene, is: “a community whose members, regardless of means, are equally valued and supported,” according to their website.
The Equinox feels the college should reassess its connection to The Salvation Army and replace it with other organizations that may be more closely aligned with its mission, vision and values.
The Salvation Army in recent years has made statements to repent from their homophobic past. The Salvation Army USA website currently states, “The Salvation Army serves everyone. With love. With hope. And without discrimination.”
Their mission statement on LGBTQ+ support says, “We’re motivated by the love of God to meet human needs in His name without discrimination. We embrace people regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Our hiring practices are open to all, and we provide the same benefits to opposite-sex and same-sex couples.”
The Equinox, though, is suspicious of this claim. While it is good to forgive, only time will tell if The Salvation Army’s actions match their words — after all, it’s important to practice what you preach. The Equinox wants to see consistency from the Salvation Army before we can put their past behind them.
The Equinox thinks that showing an endorsement to a corporation with a known history of homophobia is not a good look for Keene State College. Other organizations listed on the Community Partner list, such as Community Kitchen or Hundred Nights Shelter, do not have problematic pasts.
The KSC Community Partner list is curated so that members of the college community can easily access organizations for volunteer purposes. Students who want to provide their time and effort to charities will look at this list and see the Salvation Army. Since their past is not well known, it is not fair to students who might be uncomfortable working for an organization with such a past.
The Equinox believes that it does not take much effort to remove the Salvation Army from the KSC Community Partner list. It is a great step in maintaining awareness of who Keene State College is endorsing and if they are held up to the standards they must keep.
The Salvation Army does not live up to such standards, and Keene State College needs to be aware of that fact.
