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gizaThe backstory:
I remember back in the 90s when I used to read Scouting Magazine, I would see these awful editorials going on and on (and on...) about the "gay agenda", and how those eeeeevil gays and atheists were trying to "take over" Scouting and force their values on everyone else. I was years away from thinking of myself as "gay" back then, but still those editorials left a really bad taste in my mouth.
The funny thing is that the local troops that I dealt with when I was in scouting (I'm an Eagle Scout) really didn't care one way or another about sexual orientation or religious preferences. When we were on camping trips and went to religious services, the guys who didn't go to church were merely dragged along to whatever service the leaders felt like taking them to. Nobody cared. A childhood friend of mine told me a few years back that his troop was the same way, but with gays. There were several gays in his troop, and the leaders didn't care.
It's such a shame, that while Boy Scouting is a great program for the boys, its executives are completely out of touch, and rotten to the core.
City of Philadelphia: "Uh, you know that office space we're letting you have for free?"
Boy Scouts: "Yeah?"
City of Philadelphia: Well, we got this little problem with you discriminating against gays. It's discriminatory, and our policies prevent us from letting you have this office space for free.
Boy Scouts: It's our organization, and we'll run it how we like.
City of Philadelphia: Look, if you want to discriminate against gays, that's your business, but we're going to have to ask that you pay us fair market value starting on June 1st, or vacate the building. Continuing to let you occupy that building free of rent would violate our city's policies.
Boy Scouts: Fuck you.
City of Philadelphia: Fine, just get out.
Boy Scouts: We're not going anywhere. BTW, we're suing you now, so that we can stay here and continue to discriminate against gays.
So, yeah... I wish I could say that this kind of behavior is a first from the Boy Scouts, but they have a long standing policy of being horribly bigoted and intolerant when it comes to gays, atheists, and pretty much anyone else who doesn't fit into their narrow view of the way things should be.Boy Scouts: "Yeah?"
City of Philadelphia: Well, we got this little problem with you discriminating against gays. It's discriminatory, and our policies prevent us from letting you have this office space for free.
Boy Scouts: It's our organization, and we'll run it how we like.
City of Philadelphia: Look, if you want to discriminate against gays, that's your business, but we're going to have to ask that you pay us fair market value starting on June 1st, or vacate the building. Continuing to let you occupy that building free of rent would violate our city's policies.
Boy Scouts: Fuck you.
City of Philadelphia: Fine, just get out.
Boy Scouts: We're not going anywhere. BTW, we're suing you now, so that we can stay here and continue to discriminate against gays.
I remember back in the 90s when I used to read Scouting Magazine, I would see these awful editorials going on and on (and on...) about the "gay agenda", and how those eeeeevil gays and atheists were trying to "take over" Scouting and force their values on everyone else. I was years away from thinking of myself as "gay" back then, but still those editorials left a really bad taste in my mouth.
The funny thing is that the local troops that I dealt with when I was in scouting (I'm an Eagle Scout) really didn't care one way or another about sexual orientation or religious preferences. When we were on camping trips and went to religious services, the guys who didn't go to church were merely dragged along to whatever service the leaders felt like taking them to. Nobody cared. A childhood friend of mine told me a few years back that his troop was the same way, but with gays. There were several gays in his troop, and the leaders didn't care.
It's such a shame, that while Boy Scouting is a great program for the boys, its executives are completely out of touch, and rotten to the core.
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Date: 2008-05-28 02:26 pm (UTC)The Cradle of Liberty Council agreed with the nondiscrimination policy - in fact, they adopted a council nondiscrimination policy in 2003, see http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,303280,00.html
The National Council ordered them to revoke it, to the point of sending a Cease and Desist letter!
The Wikipedia article mentions more, though the Philadelphia Inquirer article concerning the Cease and Desist is unfortunately a broken link at this time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_of_Liberty_Council
It's unfortunate that this situation is being forced into the courts, but it was inevitable. Either the CoL continues to discriminate in order to receive funding from National, or they get kicked out of National and are forced to become a local camping club. You can't have a "satellite" Boy Scouts organization, you'll be violating the IP held by National.
The BSA sucks rocks, I hated all my Boy Scouting experiences (though Cub Scouts was excellent). However, I cannot fault the CoL for their myriad attempts to appease all parties in this situation and only as a last resort being forced to succumb to the pressure and have the decision made in the courts.