WASHINGTON — The Boy Scouts of America has drawn praise for upholding a policy of prohibiting openly homosexual leaders and members, in order to align with its founding principles and respect the role of parents in educating their own children.
“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,” said Bob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive.
On July 17, the Boy Scouts announced that it would continue its long-standing policy of banning “open or avowed homosexuals” in order to support the group’s values, avoid distractions from its mission and respect parental rights.
The decision came after a two-year evaluation of the policy, which determined that upholding the current membership rule would allow the Boy Scouts “to remain focused on its mission and the work it is doing to serve more youth.”
The group explained in a statement that it “does not proactively inquire about the sexual orientation of employees, volunteers, or members.”
However, it added, “we do not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission” of the organization.
The statement has drawn criticism from advocacy groups who claim that the Boy Scouts are discriminating.
However, family rights groups have been quick to applaud the move, arguing that the organization should not be forced to adopt the views of others.
Rob Schwarzwalder, senior vice president of the Family Research Council said that he was “grateful” for the announcement.
Rather than a discriminatory move, the organization is simply “upholding the moral standards on which it was founded,” he explained.
The group’s moral foundation can be observed in the Boy Scouts’ promise to do their duty “to God” and in the fact that nearly 70% of Scout troops are chartered by religious institutions, he said.
Author and speaker Rebecca Hagelin, whose work deals with the role of parents and families in society, said that the Boy Scouts’ decision reflects “timeless moral values” and a “common-sense view” on parenting.
In a July 22 opinion article in the Washington Times, Hagelin explained that the policy allows parents “to address the subject of homosexuality with their own children, from their own perspective, on their own time, and in the context of their own religious beliefs and family values.”
She noted that the Supreme Court upheld the Boy Scouts’ policy on homosexuality in 2000, ruling that the group could not be forced to grant membership to individuals whose conduct and views directly violate its principles.
Requiring the organization to change its policy would only lead to more “in-your-face promotion of homosexual conduct to our children,” Hagelin said.
She warned that trying to force the Boy Scouts to accept members who violate its principles is an attempt by homosexual advocacy groups to impose their values on the Boy Scouts organization.
“And,” Hagelin said, “they are not entitled to use private platforms — including the Boy Scouts — to promote or rationalize away their behavior.”
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I am so grateful for the Boy Scouts, for what they stand for and for what they teach. And I pray that they continue to be protected from these vicious attacks being lashed against those that support traditional marriage and family values.
A once great organization is now pandering to the far right. With nearly 50% of its annual income from religious groups the BSA is rightly fearful. Sadly a study done in secret, and those involved in the study anonymous, is a poor claim to being right.
Hagelin is right; no outside organization should use the BSA to advance a political agenda. Sadly Hagelin fails to acknowledge that outside organizations have long ago commandeered BSA for its political agenda, the Far right in the guise of the Baptist and LDS churches!
Justin D Spears
Past Scout, Past Scouter, Past Scout Master.
I was an Eagle Scout and a member of both the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. While I had a great experience participating in the scouts, the one lasting and negative effect was being abused by an assistant scout master who was gay and abused numerous boy besides myself. This experience was 50 years ago and it is with me still to this day. I agree with the actions of the Scouts and hope they continue through all the criticism they will received from the gay and liberal press.
I do not think the we should discriminate so I do not applaud the Boy Scouts decision. This is not Christian.
Gospel of Matthew 25.
I agree with the Boy Scouts. I DO NOT want to know who you are having sex with and I certainly don’t want you talking to my children about it!!!That is what they are saying. We as a society need to stop pushing sex of all kinds, adultery, pornography, homosexuality, etc on our children. And This is not pandering to the far right, this is helping, rightfully so, the family unit, keeping the family together, and helps keep the parents responsible. This IS NOT political.
People who don’t agree with the Boy Scouts shouldn’t be part of them. Standing up for one’s religious beliefs and for the Truth is NOT discrimination. Sad to see that so many have fallen for that political correct relativist lie.
Marvin, this is not political? Perhaps not in the realm of law but it is something that BSA should deal with and not with dishonest silence. You do not want to know who the Scout Master is having sex with ONLY if it is anotehr male, otherwise you are very comfortable knowing! Although the desire to support families is laudable, and honorable, to exclude some families, i.e. gay headed ones, renders that goal null and void.
I often forget to be thankful. Thanks for reminding me. BSA did the right thing in the face of an angry, noisy, threating mob. They set a good example for what they teach about doing the right thing when peer pressure is tempting you to do otherwise. Thank you BSA!
Carl, sorry to hear about your situation that happened 50 years ago. Hopefully the adult leaders or people responsible at the time reported the incidents accordingly. May God grant you healing for this traumatic experience. At present the scouts have strict guidelines to prevent any abuse from going on. I am not sure if these are new guidelines set in place now, but under NO circumstances can boys be alone with an adult leader, there always needs to be more than one adult present at all times for any activity. It makes sense that men with same sex attraction should not be allowed in an organization that is all male. It would be like putting a diabetic in a candy shop. Not good. The Boy Scouts have the responsibility to protect our young boys as well as not provide a breeding ground for further homosexual activity, for the betterment of the men that struggle with that tendency as well. We are blessed with some great scout leaders, all dedicated dads that have taken child protection courses which are required by the churhc we are chartered with, to ensure that our boys are always in a safe environment.
It is about time that some oppose the bullying in the name of “tolerance” which is being perpetrated upon society by some of these groups.
ML, although the SCOTUS acknowledged BSA’s private organization status, and thus the right of association, it is NOT a religious organization. Additionally this ban on gays is not a “truth” but a position, one that can be reversed at a moments notice. Further there is no causal relationship between being gay and molesting youth.
I applaud the Boy Scots. It’s good to know there are still organizations that will stand up to bullying from the radical left. You don’t have to be religious to be against the homosexual agenda. I know athiests who are against it because it’s against the natural law and they are afraid that moral decay will lead to the end of our civilization.
I applaud the Boy Scots. You don’t have to be religious to be against the homosexual agenda. I know athiests who are against it because it’s against the natural law and they are afraid that moral decay will lead to the end of our civilization.
TG, so you, and your “atheist” associates are agianst the full, legal, application of the US Constitution? That IS what the Gay Agenda is all about, no more and no less. Futher, any claim to “Natural Law” has long since been shown to be counter to your claims, as homosexaulity is present in all higher life forms. TO attribute a concern by atheists about “moral decay” is a false claim.
I’m sick of this. I was nearly the victim of abuse by an older man at age 17, but I got away from the pervert. The man had no sense of morality or shame, and had a number of victims because he was of “buena familia” in South American aristocracy.
Kudos to the BSA, and I don’t care if it offends 4 - 10% of the populace.
RevJDSpears, also present in all higher life forms are cancer, birth defects, food poisoning, and broken bones. Just because other animals suffer from some of the same ailments we do, does not make those ailments a part of the normal healthy functioning of our bodies.
So with homosexuals we’re dealing with 1% of the population (Guttmacher Inst.), about the same number of schizophrenics in the country. Should we allow schizophrenics to drive trains? Some things are meant to be, some not. If you are not a religious person, use your common sense. You are playing into the hands of big dollar people playing with your mind that gave you your attitudes. I challenge you to turn off the TV, the radio, the noise for a while. And listen to your friends carefully. See where they received their attitudes. Take on a critical way of looking at the world, at secularism and moral relativism.
God Bless you,
Timmy
“The vast majority of the parents of youth we serve value their right to address issues of same-sex orientation within their family”
Actually BSA maintains its right to exclude gays precisely *because* it has an expressed message regarding sexual orientation. If BSA had no message regarding sexual orientation, BSA would have no legal right to exclude gays.
BSA told the Supreme Court in 2000 that BSA “teaches that homosexual conduct is not morally straight”. If, in fact, BSA believes that sexuality should only be taught by parents, and not by BSA, do the vast majority of parents value the right of BSA to lie to the Supreme Court as well?
“outside organizations have long ago commandeered BSA for its political agenda, the Far right in the guise of the Baptist and LDS churches!”
Actually, the LDS church, Methodist church, and Catholic church sponsor about 20% of U.S. Scouts each. Those three churches, combined, account for 58% of all U.S. Scouts. The Baptists make up about 5% of U.S. Scouts.
So while your point is well taken, it is the LDS, Methodist, and Catholic churches putting external pressure on BSA, not the Baptists. Baptists, Assemblies of God, and other conservative Protestant churches are just as likely to associate with Royal Rangers as they are with BSA.
RevJDSpears and others who think this is unfair or discrimination - Are you denying BSA membership their right to free association? It’s great to be trendy and support the liberal agenda when it is a conservative target, but let’s see how you feel when the tables are turned. How many who oppose the BSA decision also oppose the United Negro College Fund (UNCF)? They openly discriminate. How about the NAACP or the National Organization for Women (NOW)? All of these groups have openly discriminatory stands. Let’s hear you group them with BSA and apply the constitutional argument against them.
Does allowing an open homosexual person membership into any group equate with that group being forced to adopt the views of homosexuality? The answer from groups and persons lauding the homosexual ban cited in this article seems to be yes. Does it not follow then, that rigorous screening and rejection of all persons whose views are incompatible with the founding principles and mission of the Boy Scouts also be carried out? Is the banning of persons who are ‘open or avowed’ agnostics, atheists, Jews, Hindus, Buddists, Muslims, etc. also necessary since they fall into the category of ‘other’ and will automatically be forcing the group into which they have been admitted to adopt their incompatible views?
@Ty BSA does not endorse a particular religion nor a particular sect / view (Christian, Jewish, etc.). However they do require members to acknowledge a higher power. The scout oath recognizes a “duty to God” bit allows the family and their spiritual advisor to determine what that means. So, yes BSA does reject avowed and openly atheist members. Have a look at the BSA membership application to see the statement of religious principles.
It would appear that those supporting BSA’s position are doing so because either 1) It is such a small percentage of the population, why worry? 2) It’s an ailment and should be ignored 3) It’s a moral issue and, somehow, BSA is a religious organization. Each of these is troubling in their own right but more to the point is that they are positions that violate one or more of BSA’s own operating principles. Not only do each of these potentially cause mental, and in some cases physical, harm, there are also issue of spiritual violence being perpetrated in the name of “goodness.” Each of us must come to our own accommodation of these issues in whatever manner necessary but for me, a man of the cloth, discrimination based not on fact but on whim is always wrong
I am a 35yr veteran Scout, and member of the OA. I was approached at the store by an obviously gay man asking if I was a park ranger. “No, I am an alumnus of the BSA, and member of their national honor society” I stated. He gave me an odd look and waited for me to pay. In the parking lot he taunted me, teased me, and then proceeded to ‘scream’ at me about gay rights etc, etc, then climbed into a car with a “support education tag.”
This really tore my heart out…My Father is gay…I love him…but, I support BSA’s decision on gay ban…I stand with Scouting as one of the few good institutions left for young people to turn to…BSA saved my pride when I had lost it…Now I am an enemy of the public?
If the BSA bellies up on this issue it will be my life’s work to start a new Scouting movement complete with the old school uniforms and hats.
Overall, it has been a sad day for me…
We must fight harder then the gay agenda to preserve Scouting.
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