The Salvation Army has a long history of anti-LGBTQ+ stances and policies. They have fought to be able to circumvent laws that block churches from discriminating against LGBTQ+ individuals. Their shelters and recovery facilities have repeatedly been investigated for denying access to LGB and especially Transgender individuals. The evangelical organization has been at continued odds with the LGBTQ+ community, and that’s why many were surprised when Sunshine Cathedral, the world’s largest Queer church, was recently given the Community Hero of the Year Award. The award was presented to the food ministry team, and was accepted by Reverend Anne Atwell. The Special Events and Community Events Coordinator for the local Salvation Army ministry, Robert Beasley, appeared at Sunshine Cathedral to speak at their Sunday Service about how an organization that has traditionally not been queer friendly ended up partnering with a Queer church. Beasley explained how happy he was to work with the LGBTQ+ community, which he stated was his community as well. He told the story of how the Salvation Army food pantry had fallen on hard times during pandemic, and how food donations were difficult to get.
