Salvation Army set to lose Maine funding

PORTLAND, Maine — The Salvation Army of Portland, Maine, is set to lose about $60,000 in funding from the City of Portland because it refuses to provide health care benefits to the domestic partners of its homosexual employees.

In May 2002 the Portland city council adopted a policy requiring all agencies doing business with the city to offer “domestic partner” benefits to all employees. Since the national office of the Salvation Army has refused to offer such benefits, the city voted to discontinue the $60,000 it gives the local Salvation Army for a meal program for senior citizens and a senior center.

Salvation Army officials deny they discriminate against homosexual employees, pointing out that they also deny such benefits to domestic partners of their heterosexual employees.