Despite protests, Boy Scouts reaffirm ban on gays

[accadacca]

NEW YORK (AP) - After a confidential two-year review, the Boy Scouts of America on Tuesday emphatically reaffirmed its policy of excluding gays, angering critics who hoped that relentless protest campaigns might lead to change.

The Scouts cited support from parents as a key reason for keeping the policy and expressed hope that the prolonged debate over it might now subside. Bitter reactions from gay-rights activists suggested that result was unlikely.

The Scouts' national spokesman, Deron Smith, told The Associated Press that an 11-member special committee, formed discreetly by top Scout leaders in 2010, came to the conclusion that the exclusion policy "is absolutely the best policy" for the 102-year-old organization.

Smith said the committee, comprised of professional scout executives and adult volunteers, was unanimous in its conclusion _ preserving a long-standing policy that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000 and has remained controversial ever since.

As a result of the committee's decision, the Scouts' national executive board will take no further action on a resolution submitted at its recent national conference asking for reconsideration of the membership policy.

The Scouts' chief executive, Bob Mazzuca, contended that most Scout families support the policy, which applies to both adult leaders and Scouts.

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

The president of the largest U.S. gay-rights group, Chad Griffin of the Human Rights Campaign, depicted the Scouts' decision as "a missed opportunity of colossal proportions."

"With the country moving toward inclusion, the leaders of the Boy Scouts of America have instead sent a message to young people that only some of them are valued," he said. "They've chosen to teach division and intolerance."

Darlene Nipper, deputy executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said the Scouts "have turned their backs on a chance to demonstrate fairness, exercise sound judgment, and serve as a role model for valuing others."

The Scouts did not identify the members of the special committee that studied the issue, but said in a statement that they represented "a diversity of perspectives and opinions."

"The review included forthright and candid conversation and extensive research and evaluations _ both from within Scouting and from outside of the organization," the statement said.

The announcement suggests that hurdles may be high for a couple of members of the national executive board _ Ernst & Young CEO James Turley and AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson _ who have recently indicated they would try to work from within to change the membership policy. Both of their companies have been commended by gay-rights groups for gay-friendly employment policies.

Stephenson is on track to become president of the Scouts' national board in 2014, and will likely face continued pressure from gay-rights groups to try to end the exclusion policy. Asked for comment on Tuesday about the Scouts' decision to keep the policy, AT&T did not refer to Stephenson's situation specifically.

"We don't agree with every policy of every organization we support, nor would we expect them to agree with us on everything," the company said. "Our belief is that change at any organization must come from within to be successful and sustainable."

A statement from the executive committee of the Scouts' national executive board alluded to the Turley-Stephenson developments.

"Scouting believes that good people can personally disagree on this topic and still work together to achieve the life-changing benefits to youth through Scouting," the statement said. "While not all board members may personally agree with this policy, and may choose a different direction for their own organizations, BSA leadership agrees this is the best policy for the organization."

Since 2000, the Boy Scouts have been targeted with numerous protest campaigns and run afoul of some local nondiscrimination laws because of the membership policy.

One ongoing protest campaign involves Jennifer Tyrrell, the Ohio mother of a 7-year-old Cub Scout who was ousted as a den mother because she is lesbian.

Change.org, an online forum supporting activist causes, says more than 300,000 people have signed its petition urging the Scouts to reinstate Tyrrell and abandon the exclusion policy. The petition is to be delivered to the Scouts' national headquarters in Irving, Texas, on Wednesday.

Eagle Scout Zach Wahls, an Iowa college student who was raised by lesbian mothers, said Tuesday's announcement didn't change his view that eventually the Scouts would relent under pressure from campaigns such as those that he and his allies have mounted.

"I'm sure they'll keep saying this until the day they decide to change the policy," said Wahls.

He contended that the committee review process should not have been kept secret. "The very first value of the Scout Law is that a Scout is trustworthy," Wahls said. "There is absolutely nothing trustworthy about unelected and unnamed committee members who are unwilling to take responsibility for their actions."

The Boy Scouts' policy stands in contrast to inclusive membership policies adopted by several other major youth organizations, including the Girl Scouts of the USA and Camp Fire.

___

Online:

Boy Scouts statement: http://www.scouting.org/Media/PressR.../20120717.aspx

Source: http://m.ksl.com/index/story/sid/20725318

[Sandstone Addiction]

Why don't they just start their own organization?

[reverse_dyno]

Why don't they just start their own organization?

Sandstone, I think that is what Southerners told blacks a while back. Didn't it go something like; "We don't like your kind here! Go get your own restaurants!" If I recall somewhere, that type of behavior was considered "bad", or at least it used to be.

[Scott Card]

Private entity.... Supreme Court.....

[Deathcricket]

What about fat kids? Do they exclude those too?

[oldno7]

What about fat kids? Do they exclude those too?

Give it up--aren't you a little too old!

[JONBOYLEMON]

What about fat kids? Do they exclude those too?

Only if they make me walk VERY SLOWLY with them on a 20 mile hike which keeps me from getting home the same day the hike started!!!!!

Actually, I have a list of all the kind of kids that should not be allowed in Scouts!

[Thomas]

The Supreme Court in BSA vs Dale, held that as a private organization the BSA could exclude individuals when "the presence of that person affects in a significant way the group's ability to advocate public or private viewpoints." This is also a much smaller issue than what Reverse_dyno is trying to do by comparing this to the segregation of the South; of course he may just be trolling.

The BSA obviously has the legal right to exclude individuals from membership. Just like the Augusta National Golf Club, and their stance on not allowing female members. I have not read anything where the BSA has made public the specific reasons for their exclusion of homosexuals, are they worried about image, sexual misconduct between boys and leaders, or sexual misconduct between boys.

I believe a part of this is that the two major groups that participate in the BSA are #1 Baptists and #2 Mormons. If they both left and formed their own groups, which I think they both would, the BSA would take a drastic drop in membership.

I think this is very ironic, that if homosexuals force themselves into the BSA (and not form their own scouting program), homosexuals will drive out existing BSA members causing them to form their own scouting groups and programs. This will essentially create a homosexual BSA. Kind of like a hostile takeover. This will be interesting to see if the BSA finally caves into the public pressure.

[restrac2000]

Have always been disappointed with the BSA and their poor choices. Bigoted little games for bigoted little people. Odd that so many adult males are afraid of a boy's sexuality.

I wouldn't dear call this a "smaller issue" even when I can accept the limitations of the government to interfere. The segregation of people is never a small issue.

[Thomas]

First off I don’t condone what the BSA is doing; however, I don’t like these monumental leaps trying to compare decades of oppression, intimidation, death, and slavery to excluding homosexual young men and leaders to join what is basically a camping and hiking club. This would be segregation IF the BSA let in homosexuals and then put them into two separate groups, with separate privileges and rules. What the BSA is doing is exclusion. While you may think the difference in definitions is minor, there is a difference.

I wish the BSA would release the details of this “private” research. I am interested in what the motivations where, religious, worried about sexual predators, or sexual harassment. From what I have read sounds like they don’t plan to make that information public.

[double moo]

The Mormon Church allows Gay members to hold other positions in the organization, I don't see them as a supporting organization who would leave because of it. Maybe they should step up and be the entity that promotes a change in the BSA.

[Byron]

Well, it looks like most around here want to tap dance around the issue, or ignore it altogether...consider Jerry Sandusky. There is the problem, boys and girls...if they allow gays to openly operate there you would have perverts coming in like ringing a dinner bell. That's it, period.

[Felicia]

Well, it looks like most around here want to tap dance around the issue, or ignore it altogether...consider Jerry Sandusky. There is the problem, boys and girls...if they allow gays to openly operate there you would have perverts coming in like ringing a dinner bell. That's it, period.

What? How do you leap from homosexuality to pedophilia?

[restrac2000]

What? How do you leap from homosexuality to pedophilia?

Thank you, Felicia.

[double moo]

Well, it looks like most around here want to tap dance around the issue, or ignore it altogether...consider Jerry Sandusky. There is the problem, boys and girls...if they allow gays to openly operate there you would have perverts coming in like ringing a dinner bell. That's it, period.

I hope you're just trolling!

If you're Catholic you should keep your kids away from church, Juan Diego should have empty halls. Haven't there also been cases of abuse by LDS leaders? Thanks to Sandusky we should not let our kids attend sports camps... Especially at the Y - religion and sports seem to equal sodomy.

I don't recall any reports of abuse in Scouting by openly gay leaders... Perceived hetero leaders would be another story. My Mother in law is a lifelong scouter...silver beaver and all (I can only vouch for the award they gave her!). She commented to me that having a gay leader having perverted thoughts about all those young boys makes her sick. I asked if a hetero woman has the same sexual thoughts since they are of the opposite sex, you know "natural" thoughts? She admitted she hadn't looked at it that way.

I believe it's a fear issue, not of abuse... but of the gays recruiting your kids to the rangers (rump rangers). It's not like they pass out pamphlets and tracts extolling their lifestyle. (The same cant be said for religion!) The bishop who sent me on my mission came out of the closet a few years after... Of the 13 scouts my age 4 ended up gay, all maintain the bishop never had anything to do with it - I believe them as I respect both parties as people. Others in the ward thought he was recruiting for the other team (my folks included)

Lastly, it is unfortunate that most sexual abusers of children ends up being family. Odds are better that your kids are safer at homo scouts than at your family reunion.

[Deathcricket]

Interesting responses.

So who here is cool with grown men having "sleepovers" with teenage women?

[Felicia]

Here is a link to the list of open "of media interest" cases that the District Attorney's Office is currently prosecuting:

http://orangecountyda.com/docs/16532...gementlist.pdf

If you read through the list, you can get an idea of the types of crimes that are being committed by the types of people. Unfortunately, there are plenty of child sex crime cases on the list.

[Iceaxe]

My Mother in law is a lifelong scouter...silver beaver and all (I can only vouch for the award they gave her!).

ROFLMAO.....




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[Iceaxe]

Just one question from me.... why would anyone want to hang out with a group of people that have openly stated they want nothing to do with you?

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[canyonphile]

There is the problem, boys and girls...if they allow gays to openly operate there you would have perverts coming in like ringing a dinner bell. That's it, period.

Alas, no.

Please take a look at this article, Byron. It's from UC Davis, from a PhD researcher. Worth a read, because he also discusses the flaws in the FRC's article that supposedly finds a large correlation between child molesters/pedophiles (which are not interchangeable terms, as you'll see in the article).

A couple of paragraphs from the article:

"For the present discussion, the important point is that many child molesters cannot be meaningfully described as homosexuals, heterosexuals, or bisexuals (in the usual sense of those terms) because they are not really capable of a relationship with an adult man or woman. Instead of gender, their sexual attractions are based primarily on. "

[quote]"Other researchers have taken different approaches, but have similarly failed to find a connection between homosexuality and child molestation. Dr. Carole Jenny and her colleagues reviewed 352 medical charts, representing all of the sexually abused children seen in the emergency room or child abuse clinic of a Denver children's hospital during a one-year period (from July 1, 1991 to June 30, 1992). The molester was a gay or lesbian adult in fewer than 1% in which an adult molester could be identified