When I was at Uni  I was sort of into help centres.  Always felt i was lucky. And I am.  I'm Blessed with everything.

I've just spent a day with the Salvation Army in Adelaide. OK they as a group are not supposed to be TG friendly. I met a remarkable group of people who just care. They were pretty damn happy for a freak in a dress to  help them.  They NEVER treated me like that. I told jokes,  I was open they were gorgeous. . We worked hard. They were great. Lovely people.


I admire them

Cindy

Glad you had a good experience Sis. 

Hugs

You're good people, Cindy! It doesn't matter to me that the Salvation Army isn't "on my side." They help people, folks who need help, and that's good enough for me. Hugs, Devlyn

My neighbor was born and raised in a cultish commune, when he fell through the cracks with cocaine addiction the Salvation Army got him cleaned up and back on his feet, no questions asked and without being preachy.

Individuals in all sorts of agencies can be so much better as people than their company policies would lead you to think.

I do this with the food bank. They know full well I'm not a cismale; I've been going there since before I could pass, and anyway my kid and I look too close to the same age. They don't care about that kind of stuff, the same as they don't treat the court-ordered volunteers any different from the rest of us. Those details don't mean more than smiles and willing hands.

Also I can say from the client side that episcopalians and catholics have fed me and saved my family more than once, and never got onto me about what I look like or how I live my life.

I have gotten both help and abuse from the Salvation Army in particular. I've been given water and ice after hurricanes, and I've been kicked out of their shelters for having the wrong parts. When we were homeless after my daughter was assaulted, they wouldn't let us sleep with a light on even though we were the only ones there, and they wouldn't let my daughter keep her doll. Leah freaked out hard, so we left and spent the rest of the night on a park bench. I have very mixed feelings about them.

I understand that experiences with various organizations can vary within different regions and can also vary with what type of participation is rendered

Personally, I also have rather mixed feelings regarding the Salvation Army that I would rather not expound upon

I'll leave it at that

Like Felix says, it's the individuals and not the policies. They all have the good, the bad and the ugly amongst them!

I reread my post and feel like I grabbed a good thing about Cindy and made it a bad thing about me. Lemme start over.

Cindy that's so cool. I'm so glad that you got to help and they had your help and everyone was respectful and casual. It sounds wonderful. Your work and the work of people like you is very much appreciated. I'm glad your covolunteers returned your graciousness.

And if you are a freak in a dress, then I'm some punk kid playing house.

I worked for the Salvation Army for about a year as a store supervisor for 5 stores in Manhattan.  I loved them. I thought they were filled with integrity and really did help people get better.  For years they were the only non profit I had any respect for.  Now I don't have any that I do.   I just have zero tolerance for any sort of ignorance towards transgender people or gay rights.   Zero.  I've lost best friends over it.  And I just stopped with the Salvation Army as well.  A shame because otherwise I adore them.  But they get dumped in the garbage pile as far as I am concerned.

Quote from: mixie on February 11, 2012, 09:49:03 PM
I worked for the Salvation Army for about a year as a store supervisor for 5 stores in Manhattan.  I loved them. I thought they were filled with integrity and really did help people get better.  For years they were the only non profit I had any respect for.  Now I don't have any that I do.   I just have zero tolerance for any sort of ignorance towards transgender people or gay rights.   Zero.  I've lost best friends over it.  And I just stopped with the Salvation Army as well.  A shame because otherwise I adore them.  But they get dumped in the garbage pile as far as I am concerned.

I know this is useless because it's regional, but William Temple House in Portland OR is wonderful. On the regular social services end, I've seen everything from homeless alcoholics to well-dressed yuppies who just mismanaged their finances and didn't know what to do, and everyone seems to be treated the same. The agency acts very old-fashioned but I've never had so much as a funny feeling about the way their employees regard my gender and sexual orientation. When I was getting therapy with one of their counselors, they changed my name without comment when I asked them to, and never slipped up afterward. The front desk staff asked if they could link my old name to my new one in their records, but beyond that there were no difficulties.

In their thrift store (which is down the street so I visit a lot) I regularly see other transpeople. Because I spend so much time there and live in the neighborhood, and nobody can live near me without being very aware of my daughter and I, my transition was almost painfully visible. The staff never stared or stumbled, just switched pronouns when they saw my daughter doing so.

Anyway, they are just one small organization. They let me keep my dignity though in a way that few places have.

I've never understood why agencies don't recognize that being allowed to have dignity and feel human is good for survival and self-sufficiency, which are ostensibly their goals.

Glad you had a fulfilling day Cindy.  Maybe you have helped dispel any trans-animosity, and it will eventually affect their organisation's policies.

Karen.