us Boy Scouts of America keeps gay ban

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Boy Scouts of America keeps gay ban

The Boy Scouts of America will not change its policy of excluding gay scouts and scout leaders, following a secret two-year review, the group says.

The current policy allows families to address sexuality in private and no further action will be taken, it added.

Eleven volunteers and leaders, with a range of "perspectives and opinions", were chosen to undertake the study.

Critics, including some board members, say they support internal change and gay members should be allowed to join.

Jim Turley, chairman and chief executive of consulting firm Ernst and Young, and Randall Stephenson, head of the US telecoms company AT&T, were two of the organisation's board members who said they would support a change in policy.

'Best policy'

Announcing their conclusion, the Boy Scouts cited support from parents as a major reason for keeping the policy.

"The vast majority of the parents of youth we serve value their right to address issues of same-sex orientation within their family, with spiritual advisers and at the appropriate time and in the right setting," Boy Scouts chief executive Bob Mazzuca said.

"We fully understand that no single policy will accommodate the many diverse views among our membership or society."

The panel was unanimous in its decision and a Boy Scouts of America spokesman told the Associated Press it was "absolutely the best policy" for the group.

A lesbian mother from Ohio, Jennifer Tyrell, who was removed as a scout den leader and treasurer in April because of the policy, said in a statement: "A secret committee of 11 people can't ignore the hundreds of thousands of people around the country - including thousands of Eagle Scouts, scout families, and former scouts - that want the ban on gay scouts and scout leaders removed."

Ms Tyrell was due to deliver a petition to the group's headquarters in Irving, Texas, asking to be reinstated.

In 2000, the Boy Scouts won a ruling from the US Supreme Court that allowed them to ban gay members whose conduct, they said, violated the group's values.

Boy Scouts of America, founded in 1910, said that at the end of 2011 it had more than one million adult members.

Source: BBC News

[dogmatix]

The BSA is entitled to make its own rules. Those who disagree are free not to join.

[Dick Montage]

While I am all for equal rights regardless of sexuality - I think maybe that something as young as Boy Scouts is actually protecting its members by doing this. Kids bully!

[Aethec]

While I am all for equal rights regardless of sexuality - I think maybe that something as young as Boy Scouts is actually protecting its members by doing this. Kids bully!

Forbidding gay kids means they'll be bullied even more - if they accepted gays, tolerance would probably go up.

[Dick Montage]

Long term yes!

[threetonesun]

Does anyone even put their kids in boy scouts any more? It always struck me as a such a 1950s thing.

[hamslammer]

Wonderful!! As a former Scout, I applaud this decision.

[FloatingFatMan]

Do they still receive state money or free/concessionary use of state facilities? If so, then either that needs to stop, or they need to be made to drop this policy.

[Growled Member]

The BSA is entitled to make its own rules. Those who disagree are free not to join.

That's the way I see things too.

[Sylar0]

OMG america is so homophobic in my nation we would not allow ANY group to discrimiate like this!

[Nightwind Hawk]

Long term yes!

Most Americans don't even have a concept of what long term means, unless it's about their finances, which then they still don't think about. :p

[Hum]

So, start a Gay BSoA.

Merit badges for 'CPR'. :shifty:

[Active.]

While I am all for equal rights regardless of sexuality - I think maybe that something as young as Boy Scouts is actually protecting its members by doing this. Kids bully!

They should ban ugly people too!

[Japlabot]

Sure it's a private club and their choice to do this, but the reasoning is still wrong. Allowing gay members in the organisation does not mean that the issues of homosexuality are going to be taught to the scouts, just as issues of heterosexuality are not taught. It is inconsequential if members are gay or not. If there is any bullying, how they should handle it is no different to how they would handle the kid with red hair being bullied.

[Hum]

How would they know who is gay, anyhow ?

Is it on the application ... ?

No boy needs to tell the Scouts.

[Beyond Godlike]

I know gays working for BSA...they just dont openly say it. This is just typical ignorance in america due to stupidity of the right wing. Typical stuff that makes 'Merica look like garbage still stuck on issues modern countries got over 30 years ago.

[Buttus]

who cares? certain groups don't allow men, some don't allow white/black/whatever people, there's lots of groups that don't let certain people in!

just find another group to join...

[+LogicalApex MVC]

The BSA is entitled to make its own rules. Those who disagree are free not to join.

I would agree with you if they didn't get public money to finance their operations. They should give up all public entitlements and be allowed to keep the policy or be forced to get rid of their backwards policy. They can't be allowed to have their cake and eat it too.

My city, Philadelphia, was unsuccessful in evicting them for violating our city's ban on discrimination against gay persons. I'm still livid about that court decision as they shouldn't be allowed to stand in defiance of our laws while they are receiving government subsidies.

This whole two faced deal from the Boy Scouts has made me never want to have anything to do with them, period. If they want to keep their policy they need to exist off of 100% private money.

[Calum Veteran]

The BSA is entitled to make its own rules. Those who disagree are free not to join.

They are, and we're entitled to hold them to account and protest their terrible, indecent decisions :)

While I am all for equal rights regardless of sexuality - I think maybe that something as young as Boy Scouts is actually protecting its members by doing this. Kids bully!

Concerns of possible bullying shouldn't halt progress. Many people use the same argument against allowing same-sex couples to adopt. Yes, there would likely be some bullying in the short-term, but as you agreed, in the long-term, bullying wouldn't be a problem. As more people everywhere?not just in the Boy Scouts?come to realise there is nothing wrong with same-sex attraction, less bullying and more tolerance will occur. The best way for society to realise that reality is for people to stop being fine with such discrimination and accept that some people will be bullied, unfortunately.

A terrible fact about our world is that many people are bullied, for many different reasons. People are bullied for wearing glasses, so should all opticians stop prescribing children glasses? Children are bullied for being overweight, so should all fast food restaurants stop serving unhealthy food to children? Children are bullied for having ginger hair, so should all schools not accept these children, in order to protect them from bullies? Do you see my point? :) My last example is completely analogous to your suggestion that the Boy Scouts shouldn't accept gay children because it's about an institution not accepting children who cannot change who they are, in order to protect them from possibly being bullied.

Wonderful!! As a former Scout, I applaud this decision.

Terrible. As a decent person, I do not applaud your view or this decision.

So, start a Gay BSoA.

[. . .]

More separation is a dreadful idea. Bigots and intolerant people already tried this by creating the "separate but equal" civil unions instead of allowing same-sex couples to marry. We should not push for more separation; we should fight for full inclusion of gay and bisexual people everywhere in society.

who cares? certain groups don't allow men, some don't allow white/black/whatever people, there's lots of groups that don't let certain people in!

just find another group to join...

In regard to your last sentence, please see my reply to Hum above.

In regard to you asking "who cares?" The decent people of the world care; most of the people suffering from this oppression care; I care :) It seems odd that you would ask who cares. Have you ever been oppressed? Not only does this discriminate, it influences the many bigots that exist to believe that their opinion on same-sex attraction is fine and correct, even though it isn't. The reason gay and bisexual people are hanged in Iran is because they erroneously believe same-sex attraction is not natural and not right. If the Boy Scouts of America and other organisations continue to hold the same view that it is not right, it will be harder for us to see a change in oppression elsewhere in America or the world. It'll probably be a domino effect?once one country or organisation changes their stance, another country or organisation will change their stance. It seems unlikely countries like Iran will stop what they're doing, but it could happen, and it's more likely to happen if other countries first stop oppressing the people who don't deserve to be oppressed.

[DocM]

Does anyone even put their kids in boy scouts any more? It always struck me as a such a 1950s thing.

Just in the US ~3 million kids in about 110,000 units, but Scouting is international with 30 million Scouts in 161 countries. There are even scouts in Eurasia, Africa and Arabia. Good deeds abound; a Scout foiled a 2008 assassination attempt on the President of the Maldives by grabbing the assassins knife.

[Davo]

Because Lord knows no gay stuff will happen then. Just like at summer camp, where no sex happens because the boys and girls sleep in separate bunks.

[*RedBull*]

Do they still receive state money or free/concessionary use of state facilities? If so, then either that needs to stop, or they need to be made to drop this policy.

Homosexual organizations and activities need to not be given any govenment assistance to be fair.

OMG america is so homophobic in my nation we would not allow ANY group to discrimiate like this!

Where does it say America is afraid of homosexuals? How is it discriminatory? It's a private organization with it's own rules for entry. Homosexuals need to start their organizations and customs instead of infringing on those of others who are not homosexual. Gay Scouts of America would be a good start. Domestic partnerships would as well.

[Shiranui]

I thought that Bruce Willis was the last boy scout?

[Noir Angel]

Homophobia is never too far away in the good 'ole US of A.

[DocM]

Implicit in our right to free association is the opposite - a right not to associate with those you don't want to.

In the public square this doesn't exist, but in private organizations it is in full force; womens colleges and other organizatioins don't have to admit men and vice-versa, and so on.

Personally I don't care, and I'm a former Scout, but as a private organization they can restrict membership pretty much as they see fit.