Boy Scout Leaders Earn the Close-Mindedness Badge

Posted by Brent Peterson on Jun 11, 2012 in Oh Hell No! | 10 comments

Timeless values... like refusing to admit people that are different than you!

Boy Scouts of America leaders have been working hard, and it’s all paid off! They’ve earned the merit badge for Close Mindedness!

Resident dreamy college student-turned LGBT activist Zach “I Love My Two Moms” Wahls, along with Change.org, presented Boy Scouts of America with a petition, complete with over 275,000 signatures. The petition called for BSA to end its ban on gay scouts and gay and lesbian scout leaders.

Apparently, the leaders at BSA told Wahls that they were looking at their policies and considering changes, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

In an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday, Wahls said that he was told that the Boy Scouts is considering a newly proposed resolution that calls for ending the ban.

Robert Mazzuca, chief executive of the Scouts confirmed Wednesday a resolution was referred to a committee for review after receiving the petition last week, but told USA Today that “we have no plans at the moment to make any changes.”

It’s a shame that they can be this dead-set against progressive change, isn’t it?

While questionable and a smidge despicable, what they’re doing isn’t illegal. Back in 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Boy Scouts of America in a case involving this exact thing.

James Dale was a gay scout leader, and was ousted after they discovered he was gay. The court ruled that, since BSA was a private organization, forcing them to admit someone that didn’t “uphold their beliefs” was a violation of its First Amendment right of Freedom of Association.

So, while not illegal, it’s still kind of crappy.

I thought that the Boy Scouts was a place for boys to go to learn values like helping others, being good citizens, etc. How is discriminating against them because of their sexuality going to help anyone?

What do you guys think? Should Boy Scouts change with the time, or is it wrong to try and change the organization?

Sound off in the comments!

(via LGBTQ Nation)

Phil Mata

There’s really not much to be said about this. It sucks to no end, but it is what it is. Because it is a private organization, this sort of change is one that can only come forth with change of personal beliefs, not legal intervention.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VGKGWUAKSF5MB7UJAHU4YSOFZM Dante

I agree with Phil Mata, BUT absolutely NO TAX dollars to the BSA.
http://www.facebook.com/tschnyder Thomas M Schnyder

As long as The Mormon Church is in charge of it nothing will change.
http://www.facebook.com/thomas.robert.miller Tom Miller

If they are truly a “Private Organization” Then their tax exempt status should and needs to be terminated. (I also happen to believe all religious organizations need to pay their property taxes) And, NO GOVERNMENT FUNDS SHOULD BE ALLOCATED TO THE ORGANIZATION! They need to play by the same rules as everyone else.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Erik-Baan/100000490485875 Erik Baan

I’m so grateful I’m a Dutch scout leader. I can be gay, any of the kids in my group can be gay, and it’s no biggie.

I hope that change comes to America at some point or another.
http://www.facebook.com/baralia22 Justin Bollingmo

I was a boy scout back in elementary school for a few years. I obviously wasn’t an out gay man at that point though. Sad to know I wouldn’t have been allowed to stay if I was.
sarahdamerow

Sucks. One of my husband’s best boy scout friends is gay, althoughi i hadn’t met any of them at the time, my understanding is that he had left the scouts before coming out. Maybe its easier to create a neutral scout group, boys and girls, anything (age appropriate) goes. I wonder what it would take to organize that.
Jacob Ryan

Eh. I was a scout for a while. I’ve always been a kid that everybody knew was going to be gay (or are we already gay at that point? Idk. Whatever the case may be. . . ) and all the scout leaders treated me like an outcast and following close on their heels, were the sons and friends of their sons of the scout leaders. It just created an all around negative environment. And if we’re still volunteering our kids into this kind of intolerant shit, then the best we can do it try and instill better values into our kids on our own rather than trying to unify and do it on that scale. We still have obviously not worked out that kink. It’s sad but it’s true. Not to mention, the uniforms are hideous. (Here nor there, I’ve always tried to tell myself. But alas, they’re truly atrocious.)
Gavin Stephenson-Jackman

Strange how this little thing called a border can make such a difference. Scouts Canada has welcomed gay and lesbian members at all levels for years. In fact before the ruling of the US supreme court you mention. It truly is another world up here and I love it.
http://www.facebook.com/people/William-Bellanger/100002081411022 William Bellanger

It is what it is, unfortunately… I’ve straight-up denounced my Eagle Scout rank.

Tags

Boy Scout Leaders Earn the Close-Mindedness Badge

Pages

Tags

Boy Scout Leaders Earn the Close-Mindedness Badge

Yo Categories

Pages