eBay solicits donations for non-inclusive organizations

[gpspilot]

eBay just asked me for a donation to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which "provides quality care for LGBTQ+ people."

So it doesn't provide care for heterosexual people with AIDS.  Therefore, I did not donate.

I've always been told that no one should be discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation.  Here's what ChatGPT says about this:

Discrimination should be condemned, and support for those affected by HIV/AIDS should be inclusive and non-discriminatory.  Before donating to any organization, it's a good practice to research their mission, values, and the specific programs they support. This will help ensure that your contribution aligns with your values and that you're supporting a cause that works towards inclusivity and equality.

[monica-sells]

So tell me....how did EBAY solicit you for this donation?

Did they knock on your door....send you a message via ebay messaging....send you a snail mail through USPS...phone solicitation?

[ebooksdiva]

Never hard of eBay doing anything like that. I’ve been a member for 18 years. 
Did this request for donations come through your eBay messages? Email? By Phone? Carrier pigeon? USPS? 
I sense a possible new scam in the making. 

[gpspilot]

When I pay for items I purchase, it is very common to see solicitations for charitable donations on the Checkout page.  I am seeing it right now.  I will copy and paste the text:

Donate to charity (optional)

Elton John AIDS Foundation

Support the Elton John AIDS Foundation to prevent HIV infections, tackle stigma and provide quality care for LGBTQ+ people

[gpspilot]

When I pay for items I purchase, it is very common to get solicitations for charitable donations on the Checkout page.  I am seeing it right now.  I will copy and paste the text:

Donate to charity (optional)

Elton John AIDS Foundation

Support the Elton John AIDS Foundation to prevent HIV infections, tackle stigma and provide quality care for LGBTQ+ people

[albertabrightalberta]

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@gpspilot wrote:

When I pay for items I purchase, it is very common to get solicitations for charitable donations on the Checkout page.  I am seeing it right now.  I will copy and paste the text:

Donate to charity (optional)

Elton John AIDS Foundation

Support the Elton John AIDS Foundation to prevent HIV infections, tackle stigma and provide quality care for LGBTQ+ people

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Did you notice the word "optional?" 

That means that you do NOT have to donate, you DON'T have to even read it and you CAN just ignore! 

[wastingtime101]

Yeah, like the OP says, those 'contribute to charity' prompts appear at the bottom of the checkout page. I see a different charity nearly every time I make a purchase. It's like when you go to the store and before you pay they ask 'do you want to donate $5 to St Jude today?' except there's no live person to say no to.

You are, of course, free to ignore. On eBay it's not checked by default or anything, it's just a question at the bottom of the checkout page. You don't even have to check 'no' - just ignore and pay for your item. It's pretty non-intrusive in my opinion.

[gpspilot]

Of course charitable donations are optional.  When they become mandatory, they're called taxes. 

Why are you angry at me?  I'm not the entity promoting charities that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

[monica-sells]

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@gpspilot wrote:

Of course charitable donations are optional.  When they become mandatory, they're called taxes. 

Why are you angry at me?  I'm not the entity promoting charities that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

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And...EBAY is not the entity promoting charities....AFAIK it is the individual seller choosing whatever charity they support. Your angst should not be toward ebay, but (based on your explanation) against the by laws of the charity and then the seller who chooses to support that charity.

NOT EBAY

[gpspilot]

eBay doesn't solicit donations for just any charity.  eBay carefully screens and vets the charities that it promotes on buyers' Checkout pages.

This isn't the first time I've seen eBay promote a non-inclusive charity.

[wastingtime101]

Actually @monica-sells - eBay puts it on every checkout page.

When the seller chooses a charity, that means the seller is making the donation to the charity from their sale proceeds and you'll see a note telling you the listing supports a specific charity.

What the OP is describing is different as I mentioned in my above post. eBay shows charities at random that are registered with their eBay for Charity program and asks buyers if they want to donate.

[gone.c-33]

Oh please.

Following your logic, we shouldn’t donate to St. Jude because that’s discrimination against people who aren’t children?

[house*of*paws]

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@gpspilot wrote:

eBay just asked me for a donation to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which "provides quality care for LGBTQ+ people."

So it doesn't provide care for heterosexual people with AIDS.  Therefore, I did not donate.

Hi @gpspilot 

Are you sure that the + in LGBTQ+ doesn't include heterosexual people?  

BTW, we are never asked to donate by eBay.  We are given the opportunity to donate to different charities during Checkout.  We can 'Just say no' if we're not interested in doing so.  No questions asked.  🙂 

[house*of*paws]

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@gone.c-33 wrote:

Oh please.

Following your logic, we shouldn’t donate to St. Jude because that’s discrimination against people who aren’t children?

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Great question!  

The OP is essentially twisting the meaning of 'non-inclusive' to justify discrimination.

[house*of*paws]

Hello again @gpspilot 

Your post intrigued me enough to check out the Elton John Aids Foundation website in order to verify whether or not they treat heterosexuals.  They do.  😊

So it appears your concern is completely unwarranted ... assuming the basis of your concern really was what you said it is.  From the site:

>>  We’re tackling the barriers that keep HIV testing, prevention, and treatment from the people who need them most, including the LGBTQ+ community, young people, and people who use drugs. <<