Portland Diocese Punishes Anti-Poverty Program for Stance on Gay Marriage
In December of 2009, on the heels of a statewide ballot question regarding same-sex marriage,
Preble Street, a Portland Maine homeless shelter received a letter from Bishop Malone stating
the funds to their Homeless Voices for Justice Program were being cut as a result of the
organization’s listing as a coalition member on the campaign to legalize same-sex marriage.
Preble Street's Homeless Voices for Justice Program lost $17,400 for fiscal year 2010 and
$33,000 for 2011.
Officials with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland and the Washington-based Catholic
Campaign for Human Development said that Preble Street violated its grant agreement by
supporting Maine's marriage equality campaign.
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Let's send the signal that Catholics and people of faith want the bishops to put the needs of the marginalized before their right-wing political agenda.
More - Preble Street
George Burns, a Portland attorney, and board member of Catholics for Marriage Equality was
inspired by these events to form With Charity For All as a funding mechanism for programs that
have been abandoned by religious institutions.
Similar cuts to anti-poverty programs are occurring all over the country—based solely on
political ideology. With Charity For All believes that charity should always come before politics.
You might think of With Charity For All as a National Spaghetti Supper!
