No youth may be denied membership, but what about the adults…
By Cathy Kristofferson, May 22, 2013
Since 1910, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have sought to “train youth in responsible citizenship, character development, and self-reliance through participation in a wide range of outdoor activities, educational programs, and, at older age levels, career-oriented programs in partnership with community organizations.” Over that century plus, the BSA has been practicing their own special form of discrimination banning the LGBT community from participating in any of it. Gay scouts, leaders, employees, and volunteers need not apply!
Recently they have come under increased pressure to get with the times and lift their ban. Large corporate donors pulling funding due to the discrimination seems to have gotten the BSA’s attention. Seeking to restore the funding, the BSA is hoping a compromise will do the trick.
Today the BSA has released their new draft policy ahead of tomorrow’s membership vote. Way down at the bottom, the last line in fact it reads:
No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.
And as previously reported they are seeking to attempt this comprise which would allow in gay youth but continue the ban on gay adults which would include scouts once they turn 18:
WHEREAS, the current adult leadership standard of the Boy Scouts of America states:
..
While the BSA does not proactively inquire about sexual orientation of employees, volunteers, or members, we do not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the BSA.
While some are calling on the Boy Scouts to accept this ‘advancement’, we at OBLOGDEE are sticking to our convictions that the ban on adults does nothing more than perpetuate the myth that homosexual=pedophile un-befitting of contact with youth!
And what of the messages they are sending the youth, both gay and straight, who are involved? That gays cannot be trusted around youth, that gays are not equally qualified to be leaders, that gay scouts can never go on to be scout leaders themselves? Sounds like an endorsement to bully!
Continue reading our previous post here.
The BSA should vote to let in all queers tomorrow both youth and adult, or none at all and continue to suffer the consequences.
Related articles:-
- Boy Scouts Apartheid is bigotry not evolutionary (oblogdeeoblogda.me)
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The BSA are the same bigots as all other old-time groups- they know they have gay kids & leaders but just “don’t want to know”. Wtf? No- I’m sorry- not good enough any more. It’s obvious gay people have always participated- why should we be excluded now? It’s B.S!
Join GLAAD & send your message NOW:
http://www.glaad.org/scouts
Cheers
Thanks Tracy, Funny that you link GLAAD since it was their email yesterday that made me write this post. In it they said “Give the Boy Scouts that final push to end its long history of discrimination, and show them that equality is the best policy.” It made me wonder why they think this is ‘that final push’ since the BSA resolution is ONLY for <18 year old scouts. Not 18+ scouts or any adult positions. In my opinion, if the BSA votes to allow the cop-out of youth only today it will be so much harder to ever get the 'all gays allowed' vote later down the road. Cathy