A popular crowdfunding site prohibits collecting money in defense of “discriminatory acts.”
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Given the culture war brouhaha surrounding Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who has refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, it’s no wonder there are people itching to write her checks. For some, the Apostolic Christian is something of a martyr, sacrificing her personal freedoms to take a stand against same-sex marriage. After a federal judge Thursday held Davis in contempt of court and sent her to jail, that perception has only grown.
But Davis supporters are going to have a hard time raising money online.
That’s because the popular crowdfunding site GoFundMe has a specific policy against supporting those facing charges of discrimination.
Here’s the policy, added to the website in April of this year:
GoFundMe will not allow campaigns that benefit individuals or groups facing formal charges or claims of serious violations of the law. The amended term can be found under the ‘What’s Not Allowed’ section of our terms, as well as below:
Campaigns in defense of formal charges or claims of heinous crimes, violent, hateful, sexual or discriminatory acts
That’s you, Kim! And it appears that GoFundMe has stuck to its guns: As of writing, there are no fundraising campaigns for Davis on the site.
Davis’ huge and money-savvy network of supporters is part of the reason U.S. District Judge David Bunning decided to send the county clerk to jail. After Davis testified Thursday that the Liberty Counsel, a Christian public interest law firm, had already begun collecting money on her behalf, “Bunning rejected the possibility” of fining her instead, reports the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Of course, there’s still big money in the high-profile media circus, not least for the 2016 presidential nominees who have come out as Davis supporters. Republicans Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Bobby Jindal, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee have gone on record as strong Davis advocates. You can bet her plight will become the focus of their own fundraising campaigns.
Meanwhile, those still jonesing to donate online can head to CrowdRise, where organizers are raising money for a Kim Davis Miracle Makeover. All proceeds will go to the LGBT stylists who will help the county clerk with her transformation—and should she refuse their help, to the Kentucky Equality Federation.
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