Homeless Shelter: Gays not welcome, no matter how in need they might be

[WillParkinson]

Homeless Shelter Boots Suspected Gays

The House Of Mercy in Columbus, Georgia has booted out two homeless women because shelter managers suspect they are gay. Michael Jones reports at Change.org:

These were women who actually fled abusive homes, and as one of them told WRBL, she was expecting to be treated with compassion by the folks at House of Mercy. "I was hoping that just by the name ... I was hoping for security," one of the women said. Instead, the woman says the way she was treated at the House of Mercy was unholy. "It was not a place of God." The director of House of Mercy, Elder Bobby Harris, told WRBL that "practicing" gay people aren't welcome at his shelter, no matter how in need they might be. " is not tolerated here at all. Let me tell you one reason why: because of the Bible, of course. And then we have little children ... We believe that Christ can change all. But when they begin to practice their acts," Harris says, there's nothing he can do for gay people in need.

The two women say that they are not gay, but that the shelter should have taken them in even if they were.

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2011/01/homeless-shelter-boots-suspected-gays.html

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. Judge not, that ye be not judged.

Matthew 7

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

[msongs]

2. christian family values - nothing new here, move along nt

[Ian David]

3. How very chrisTian of them. n/t

[pgodbold]

4. Contemptible scripture whores. House of Mercy indeed. nt

[DCKit]

5. Time to remove their tax-exempt status and analyze their financials. nt

[bvar22]

6. The BIG problem with "Faith Based" Social Services

Obama LOVES "Faith Based" spending.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/45897.html

I am offended that ANY "Democrat" would endorse or support ANY public money going to ANY "Faith Based" anything.

[TheWraith]

7. You know groups receiving government money are prohibited from discriminating, right?

Any organization that receives government money to provide social services is bound to engage in non-discrimination in how they provide those services. You're complaining about supporting something that is expressly banned the minute they take the money.

[TriMera]

8. What groups are protected and under which federal law? eom

[bvar22]

9. Yeah. Thats gonna work.

LOL

It is also illegal to shelter money in offshore tax havens.

No "PUBLIC" money for "Faith Based" anything!
Its one of the ideas our country was founded on.

[Creideiki]

10. Except in employment

That's the "Salvation Army Clause".

[Hello_Kitty]

16. If it's a homeless shelter chances are real good they're getting government funds. eom

[toddaa]

11. What is a good (inclusive) organization for homeless teens?

I'm going through my charity donations and I want to include some targetted towards homeless GLBT teens. Doesn't have to specifically be geared to GLBT teens, but should be explicitly inclusive.

[TriMera]

12. Try this page

from the Trevor Project. It's a good place to start.:hi:

[RetiredTrotskyite]

13. This is Just Disgusting!

And it is disgusting that Obama loves faith-based nonsense like this. If this "shelter" is receiving any public tax funds, they should have the funds pulled at once. This arrogant pig of a manager will even throw residents out if have sex off-pemises. House of Mercy, my ass!

[ZombieHorde]

14. Monotheism sucks. nt

[sakabatou]

15. Do they get any state or federal funds?

[FreeState]

17. Yes

http://www.bilerico.com/2011/01/anti-gay_homeless_shelter_receiving_government_fun.php

House of Mercy got over $326,000 in revenue in 2009 (their most recent 990 filing) from unspecified sources. A "substantial amount" (one-third, according to the Nonprofit Law Blog) had to come from a government body or the general public for them to have checked that box on the 990.

Also, in the FY2011 budget signed by Georgia's governor, the Georgia legislature is looking to give House of Mercy a $75,000 grant (this is from the section of non-binding allocations):

Section 16, pertaining to the Department of Community Affairs, page 31, line 906:

The General Assembly seeks to earmark $75,000 for the House of Mercy in Columbus in the Special Housing Initiatives program. The department is authorized to operate the program in accordance with the purpose of the program and its general law powers of the Department.

Regardless anyone offering a service to homeless people that denies that service to GLBT persons based solely on their orientation or gender identity is immoral to their core.