If you’ve been in a grocery story or mall recently (and who hasn’t?), you have seen and heard the Salvation Army’s Christmas bell-ringers collecting donations for charity. Straight bell-ringers, because the Salvation Army does not hire gays.

And many gays do not give to the Salvation Army, choosing to give money to charities that do not discriminate against us instead of those that do.

In addition to not hiring gays, the Salvation Army actively lobbies for anti-gay laws, calls gay couples with children ‘pretend’ families, and promotes celibacy as the only option for gay Christians.

But the Salvation Army is not the only option for giving. Queer Alaskans who want to donate to nondiscriminatory charities have many choices. Three local charities with good records are Beans Cafe and homeless shelter for adults and Covenant House for homeless youth, both in Anchorage, and the Street Outreach and Advocacy Program for homeless kids in Fairbanks.

The Salvation Army works on a much larger scale, and some gays and allies say that justifies their donations.

Do you put money in the Salvation Army buckets?