WASHINGTON, USA - President George W. Bush on Tuesday refused a request for a regulation exempting religious charities like the Salvation Army from having to hire homosexuals.
Aides said the White House had reviewed the Salvation Army request and decided that language in current law and as proposed in Bush's faith-based initiative already protect religious charities from hiring people who do not share their faith.
"These protections ensure that religious organizations have the right to hire individuals who share their religious faith. They also ensure that such organizations comply with civil rights laws," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.
The Salvation Army had wanted the exemption because of the increasing number of local governments that have passed laws requiring religious groups such as the Salvation Army to adhere to laws barring discrimination against gays in hiring, job promotion and benefits.
David Smith, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, which represents the gay and lesbian community, said the decision meant the status quo was maintained.
But he said the group still had concerns, and would work with Congress to address them, to ensure that civil rights laws that include sexual orientation protections in 12 states and 122 communities be respected in regard to the distribution of federal funds to religious charities.
"We firmly believe that federal funds should not be used by any organization, religious or not, that discriminates against gay and lesbian Americans," Smith said.
Rob Boston, spokesman for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a leading critic of Bush's faith-based plan, said the whole controversy "underscores the inherent unworkability of the faith-based initiative."
"These questions of discrimination underwritten with public dollars are going to quickly become a flash point for litigation," Boston said.
The Bush decision was announced on the same day The Washington Post quoted from an internal Salvation Army document it said suggested a link between a White House pledge to issue such a regulation in return for the organization's support of Bush's faith-based initiative.
"Oh no, absolutely not," said Fleischer when asked if there was such a trade-off.
Fleischer earlier said the Salvation Army had misinterpreted the White House position, telling reporters: "Yes, and they've been advised of that."
Under Bush's plan, faith-based organizations would be able to compete for federal dollars to pay for projects to help tackle social problems like alcohol abuse and homelessness.
Faith-based groups are not prohibited by federal law from discriminating against gays in hiring.
In a statement, a Salvation Army spokesman insisted the group's hiring policies "fully comply with federal laws with respect to fair hiring on the basis of sexual orientation, gender, race and ethnicity."
"Federal law provides protections to religious organizations for the hiring of employees consistent with an organization's beliefs, values and practices," said Lt. Col. Tom Jones.
The organization made the case for the exemption during a recent meeting with White House officials about obstacles religious charities feel are blocking them from providing services.
"It really is a barrier to people seeking help," said Salvation Army spokesman David Fuscus.
"What's happening is local governments are putting restrictions on federal money passing through them requiring churches to give benefits to homosexuals. That is not consistent with the theology of the Salvation Army church. The Army would like to see federal money go to help people without this restriction."
The Salvation Army gets about 15 percent, or $330 million, of its annual budget from the federal government, and the rest from private sources, like the buckets of spare change collected by bell-ringing volunteers at Christmas time.
18:56 07-10-01
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