Bellringer Boycott? City Bureau Chiefs Raise Cash For Salvation Army Despite Gay Activist Opposition

Portland Police Chief Mike Reese and Portland Fire and Rescue Chief John Klum plan to participate in a Salvation Army "Celebrity Bell Ringing Challenge" this morning, despite calls by some gay-rights activists to boycott the Christian charity.

Klum and Reese (who last month abandoned his plans for a mayoral campaign) will compete to see who can raise the most change from passersby outside Nordstrom beginning at 10am. A Fire Bureau press release encourages citizens to "drop a few coins or dollars into the kettle," and says the event raised nearly $18,000 last year for the Salvation Army's local service centers.

Although no local gay-rights group has formally announced support for the Salvation Army boycott, the charity's stance on homosexuality is getting renewed national attention this holiday season.

The slow-boiling boycott campaign, which reportedly dates to 2001, is intended protest the Salvation Army's history of lobbying against the application of anti-discrimination laws to gays and lesbians. Here is what the Salvation Army says about homosexuality on its website:

WWeek 2015