Boy Scouts may soon welcome gay youths, leaders

[2018commo]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...PzfQpe66T6Y1jX

Oren Dorell and Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY2:46p.m. EST January 28, 2013

As early as next week, the Boy Scouts of America may announce it will allow gay Scouts and troop leaders, a spokesman for the group has told USA TODAY.
If this policy shift is approved by the national board meeting next week, it will be a sharp reversal of the Scouts' decades' old national policy banning homosexuals.
"The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue," BSA spokesman Deron Smith said in a statement to USA TODAY.
Only seven months ago, the Boy Scouts affirmed its ban on gays after a nearly two-year examination of the issue by a committee of volunteers convened by national leaders of the Boy Scouts of America, known as the BSA. However, local chapters and some members of the national board -- corporate CEO Randall Stephenson of AT&T and James Turley of Ernst & Young -- called for a reconsideration.
The proposed new policy would leave decisions on membership and leadership up to the BSA' s 290 local governing councils and 116,000 sponsoring religious and civic groups.
"Scouting has always been in an ongoing dialogue with the Scouting family to determine what is in the best interest of the organization and the young people we serve," Smith told USA TODAY.
"The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization's mission, principles or religious beliefs," he said.
The announcement comes after a campaign to change the policy that lasted more than a year and garnered more than 1.2 million online signatures at Chang.org, according to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), an advocacy group.
"The Boy Scouts of America have heard from scouts, corporations and millions of Americans that discriminating against gay scouts and scout leaders is wrong," GLAADpresident Herndon Graddick said in a statement.
"This would be an incredible step forward in the right direction," said Zach Wahls, Eagle Scout and founder of Scouts for Equality. Wahls said his group will work with BSA councils and chartering organizations across the country to end exclusion of gays.
NBC News first reported the story.

[monsterhunter]

That's it. There goes the neighborhood.

[PedOncoDoc]

Will this be known as the Dick Act of 2013?

[SF_BHT]

Originally Posted by PedOncoDoc

Will this be known as the Dick Act of 2013?

Funny but SOOOO WRONG

[69harley]

Why could they have not adopted a version of don't ask don't tell? Who gives a dam about the young lads sexual orientation, can little Johnny read a map, start a fire, tie knots, etc?

[Pete]

Originally Posted by 69harley

Why could they have not adopted a version of don't ask don't tell? Who gives a dam about the young lads sexual orientation, can little Johnny read a map, start a fire, tie knots, etc?

It's the Agenda.

It's an interesting ball of string we have here.

The majority of folks pushing the BSA to open up to gays don't have and will not ever have kids in Cub Scouts or the BSA.

There has been some Scouts who are gay - but the ones in the news came out and demanded to be accepted.

Most adults involved with Scouting have kids somewhere in the program.

I think a number of parents who have kids in Scouting would be more than a bit uncomfortable sending the lad off to the woods with a gay adult who has no kids in the program.

[BKKMAN]

Reminds me of Canteen Boy from SNL

Canteen Boy

[69harley]

This is such bs. All this gay equality stuff should not even be in play intil the age of 18. What next, gay equality on the high school football team?

[Dusty]

What's the problem? Evidently, it's hip 'n' cool to be homo, now.

[BrokenSwitch]

Originally Posted by Pete

The majority of folks pushing the BSA to open up to gays don't have and will not ever have kids in Cub Scouts or the BSA.

Originally Posted by Pete

I think a number of parents who have kids in Scouting would be more than a bit uncomfortable sending the lad off to the woods with a gay adult who has no kids in the program.

Adopted kids and test-tube babies?
--

"On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to G-d and my country, and to obey the Scout Law: To help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight."

I can't wait to see how drastically the Scout Oath changes after this.

[ddoering]

Think of all the new merit badges that can be instituted...........

[BigJimCalhoun]

I read somewhere that the BSA does not allow firearms for protection, such as when camping.

I know when people get old they say, "The world has changed" when often it is them. In this case though, the world has changed.

[Box]

For TRUE equal treatment, we need to start seeing some BoyScout cookies...

...why should the girl scouts get to monopolize the cookie market

[Streck-Fu]

Originally Posted by Billy L-bach

For TRUE equal treatment, we need to start seeing some BoyScout cookies...

...why should the girl scouts get to monopolize the cookie market

Why not let the gay boys join the Girl Scouts.

Originally Posted by ddoering

Think of all the new merit badges that can be instituted...........

As for the new merit badges, a few have been suggested.

Tent Decorating

Creative Campsite Landscaping

Prairie Flower Arranging

Cast Iron Tofu Cooking

French Cheese Preservation on the Trail

Bear Whispering

How to Remotely DVR the Bravo Channel

Originally Posted by Pete

I think a number of parents who have kids in Scouting would be more than a bit uncomfortable sending the lad off to the woods with a gay adult who has no kids in the program.

The BSA basically kicked this down to the local council level to let them decide. However, your post is pretty much spot on in that it would be very difficult for an adult without a child in the organization becoming a leader or volunteer. The most likely scenario I can think of is a gay couple with a child (adopted or such) that wants to put them in the organization....but how likely is that really?

The other issue is that if a scout grows up in the program only to decide at 16 or 18 that they are gay, the organization will not deny continued advancement or participation.

[SF18C]

Just wait until they start having Boy Scout meetings in the basement of the local Catholic Church!

Damn kids aint gotta chance then!