Boy Scouts in U.S. delay decision on admitting gays

World Feb. 07, 2013 - 06:00AM JST ( 11 )

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11 Comments

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bokuwamoFeb. 07, 2013 - 08:24AM JST

Not only delay it, ignore it. The Boy Scout's is a private organization and so it can have any rules it wants to have. The government can not interfere because gay people say it is not fair. People have a choice, the right to be gay, sexual preference. They don't have the right to force their chose on the rest of us. Oh Yeah, the gay gene thing, Okay, all gays that want a marriage license will be tested for the gay gene, their expense and no gene, no license. Welcome to freedom of choice, we get to chose too, remember.
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VirtuosoFeb. 07, 2013 - 09:27AM JST

They should emulate the US military with a "don't ask, don't tell" arrangement for the time being (which is probably what is in force now anyway since I'm sure there are lots of gay kids in the BSA). At the time the Boy Scouts were first organized by Baden-Powell in Edwardian England, sex didn't exist.
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bokuwamoFeb. 07, 2013 - 09:53AM JST

The Boy Scouts of America have lots of gay kids in it already, really? This information is obtained from where? Same place that says, "first organized by Baden-Powell in Edwardian England,"
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Hide SuzukiFeb. 07, 2013 - 10:47AM JST

@bokuwamo

"it can have any rules it wants to have. "

Yes, and gay people have a right to make their requests to them. Boy scouts also can accept say white people only too. A great way to teach and spread their religious beliefs,

"love your neighbors, as long as they are not gay or atheist or Muslim or any other religion" LOL
1

Xeno23Feb. 07, 2013 - 10:52AM JST

This is a tough one. While I 100% support equality of opportunity and access, fair treatment for all human beings, etc., there are some things that don't have the same applicability profile just because of the nature of what they are. I was a Boy Scout (in Japan no less, BSA Far East troop), and can I just ask this?

Want to put a child from a socially stigmatized minority group (rightly or wrongly) in what's effectively a Lord of the Flies tribal organization that prepares alpha-male socialization structures? Really?

Now, I had a great time in the Boy Scouts; it was terrific, and I learned a lot from the experience, but if I had a gay son, there's no way I'd drop him in that environment - because of my love for him as a parent, and my hopes for him as an adult. Remember, we're talking 12 - 17 year old boys here. Think about this a minute.

Certainly, institutionalized barriers are typically a bad thing, and even though the BSA is a private organization, they shouldn't have them, especially since they're open to the public, so to speak - but that doesn't mean this is the best idea since sliced bread. I'd recommend the don't ask, don't tell approach, but if they're gonna throw the doors wide open and invite gay society, they'd better start hiring psychologists as troop leaders.

In no way am I stereotyping gays here; this isn't about what any one child can do, or be - this is about what a pack of children can do and will be.
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slumdogFeb. 07, 2013 - 10:54AM JST

this is about what a pack of children can do and will be.

Maybe, but it seems to be more about what a pack of children are allowed to do.
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WolfpackFeb. 07, 2013 - 11:59AM JST

If it doesn't matter if the Boy Scouts allow gays then why are they even called the "Boy" Scouts. Change the name to Scouts and let any child boy or girl join. Allow male and female scout masters and just ignore the issue of sexuality altogether. If the issue is sexuality, and if a self-identified homosexual boy were allowed to join the Boy Scouts, why not just allow girls to join as well? Isn't that the logical end-point of this debate?
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slumdogFeb. 07, 2013 - 12:02PM JST

If it doesn't matter if the Boy Scouts allow gays then why are they even called the "Boy" Scouts.

Because gay boys are still boys?
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Xeno23Feb. 07, 2013 - 12:54PM JST

There's actually a scouting org that may be better positioned for a wider demographic: Explorers. It's not gender specific, and if I'm not wrong, was originally created to be the step up from Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. I think it lowered its entry age to ~ 14 some time ago; used to be 16+. Explorer scouting is, I think, also more focused on hands-on, active education, like the Sea Scouts used to be - less about merit badges and camp fires, and more about Ecology, Community Service, even careers, etc.
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gcbelFeb. 07, 2013 - 04:22PM JST

Sooner or later it will happen. And I'm hoping it will be sooner. I've known at least one gay adult leader during my years with the BSA and he did a magnificent job impacting in a very positive way the lives of many many scouts and young adult leaders. I can't think for the life of me why we would have wanted to deprive ourselves of his contribution. I know that many other leaders who might have thought otherwise about a change in policy now think its the right thing to do, simply because of him.

terrific, and I learned a lot from the experience, but if I had a gay son, there's no way I'd drop him in that environment - because of my love for him as a parent, and my hopes for him as an adult. Remember, we're talking 12 - 17 year old boys here.

Xeno23: I do know what you mean; Far East Council and Transatlantic Councils- and thats certainly true it's not an easy one. I've known some Troops where, regardless of policy, if I were a parent of a gay son I wouldn't register him, and I've known at least where I'd consider it. But then again I'd have the same hesitation about putting him in some of the schools I've known.
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choco changFeb. 11, 2013 - 09:54PM JST

**"gay scouts" either... ** >

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