Macy’s cuts ties with Salvation Army this holiday season citing social mission

The Salvation Army’s signature red kettles will be absent from Macy’s storefronts across the country — including Philly’s.

Macy’s did not renew its contract with the Salvation Army this year, representatives from both groups confirmed. A Macy’s rep said discontinuing the partnership was a result of internal discussions surrounding the department store’s mission.

“We reevaluated our cause and community work and made a significant commitment to driving societal change by empowering underrepresented youth in our community,” a Macy’s spokesperson told The Inquirer. “With this shift, we made the difficult decision to not continue our partnership with the Salvation Army this holiday season.”

In Philadelphia, Macy’s hosts thousands of visitors annually not just for its retail, but for the Christmas light show at its Center City store in the Wanamaker Building.

In recent years, Macy’s has doubled down on its support for the LGBTQ community, partnering with groups like the Trevor Project, which serves LGBTQ youth. The Salvation Army has historically been criticized for its discrimination toward the LGBTQ community, a point Salvation Army officials continue to rebut.

“The Salvation Army is incredibly thankful for the many years of Red Kettle partnership with the Macy’s Corporation,” a Salvation Army spokesperson said in a statement. “Macy’s decided not to renew our annual Red Kettle agreement in 2022 to focus on other nonprofit causes at this time. We are grateful for all our continuing national and local Red Kettle partners and the generosity of the public to help us help their neighbors in need, which is greater than ever this season.”

The annual red-kettle fund-raising campaign consists of volunteer bell-ringers collecting donations in front of stores and public spaces. It dates to the 1890s, and since 1997 it has been kicked off during a Thanksgiving NFL game, giving it an extra jolt of national publicity.

The funds collected each year benefit families in need of food, shelter, and warm coats over the holidays, the organization says.

Critics argue that while the Salvation Army has done a lot to help people in need, including members of the LGBTQ community, it has a fraught history with the LGBTQ community.

As noted by Vox, transgender activist Zinnia Jones compiled a list of alleged acts of bias by the Salvation Army against the LGBTQ community. They included a spokesperson saying the organization considers same-sex relationships sinful, the group reportedly barring a man and his boyfriend from shelter unless they broke up, and discrimination against transgender people at its substance abuse center in New York.

A now-deleted “Position Statement” page on the Salvation Army’s website had noted that “Scripture forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same sex. The Salvation Army believes, therefore, that Christians whose sexual orientation is primarily or exclusively same-sex are called upon to embrace celibacy as a way of life,” according to the New York Times.

Macy’s began running ads in OUT Magazine in 2003. In 2007, TV ads featured same-sex couples. A year later, after Proposition 8 was passed in California, the retailer published a full-page ad in the San Francisco Chronicle celebrating the milestone and promoting same-sex wedding registries. In 2018, Macy’s (in tandem with its NBC television partners) broadcast the first same-sex kiss to take place during the department store’s annual parade.

Macy’s has touted its work with the Trevor Project and partnerships with the Human Rights Campaign on its website.

A spokesperson added that Macy’s goals as a company are meant to align with the group’s new “social purpose,” which is called Mission Every One. According to the department store’s website, the Mission Every One goal is to direct $5 billion of the company’s spending to “creating a more equitable and sustainable future by 2025.”

In Philadelphia, Macy’s has partnered with several groups that support underrepresented youth. Partnerships include a $10,000 grant for Hopeworks ‘N Camden, which along with gift cards will help unemployed young adults complete and dress for internship programs. A $15,000 grant and gift cards for Philadelphia’s Attic Youth Center for LGBTQ youth will fund a technology lab and the ability to purchase professional clothing.