Buttigieg Draws Ire for Supporting Salvation Army
South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg has recently drawn criticism from members of the LGBTQ+ community because photos have surfaced of him volunteering with the Salvation Army. The Christian charity has a fairly bad rap with the LGBTQ community for its stance on homosexuality, and many are surprised Buttigieg, who is openly gay, would associate with the group.
According to a new NBC article, the photos which recently surfaced were from 2017, but Buttigieg has supported the charity yearly since "at least 2015."
Many Twitter users posted their disapproval of the move, while some supporters posted their defenses of Buttigieg.
The Salvation Army recently has sought to repair its image and relationship with the LGBTQ community, adding that the group "stands against homophobia, which victimises people and can reinforce feelings of alienation, loneliness and despair" to its UK website, according to NBC.
This criticism comes shortly after Buttigieg "was criticized for comments he made about brokering a 'peace deal' between the LGBTQ community and Chick-fil-A, which has a history of donating to anti-LGBTQ companies," according to NBC. Last month, however, Chick-fil-a ceased donations to three groups criticized for their stances on LGBTQ issues.