GLAAD Pushes Boy Scouts to Now Lift Ban on Openly Gay Leaders, Volunteers

Christian Post ^ | 05/27/2013 | By Melissa Barnhart

[SeekAndFind]

Members of GLAAD, a nonprofit organization that promotes LGBT advocacy, was at the Boy Scouts of America's headquarters in Irving, Texas, on Friday – one day after the BSA's national council voted to allow openly gay membership – to advocate for additional policy changes acceptable to the gay community.

Former scouts Dave and Joe McGrath, a father and son duo who both earned the rank of Eagle Scout, biked 1,400 miles from Idaho Falls, Idaho, to the BSA's meeting in Grapevine to encourage the 1,400 voting delegates of the BSA's national council to vote in favor of the resolution to allow openly gay scouts, which passed by a vote of 61 to 39 percent. The ban on openly gay adult leaders is still in place.

On Friday, GLAAD documented Dave McGrath's entry into BSA headquarters to meet with staff and to deliver the LGBT community's 95 objections to their policies. Among these objections is the BSA's standing policy that bans adults who are openly gay from becoming scout leaders and volunteers.

Both factions of the scouting community – the LGBT scouts and traditional scouts – agree that the BSA's policies are now in conflict, because it accepts openly gay membership of students, but when they turn 18, they would then be ineligible to participate as scout leaders.

Many say the BSA's only option is to ask the national council delegates to vote on additional policy changes, possibly as soon as next year, to allow openly gay adults to become scout leaders and volunteers.

During Thursday's press conference outside the BSA's convention at the Gaylord Texan, Tico Perez, BSA national commissioner, refused to answer questions about lifting the ban on openly gay adults.

The policy change for openly gay youth will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2014, and will impact 116,000 scouting units, according to the BSA.

In a statement released Thursday evening, the BSA reiterated its support for the LGBT community by stating they wouldn't allow the organization to be "consumed by a single, divisive and unresolved societal issue."

"As the National Executive Committee just completed a lengthy review process, there are no plans for further review on this matter," the statement reads. "While people have different opinions about this policy, we can all agree that kids are better off when they are in Scouting."

Justin Bickford, communications director for Scouts for Equality, told CP on Thursday that their next mission is to push for openly gay leadership in the BSA. Many traditional scout leaders contend that gay adults are already serving as scout leaders and are doing so with discretion. Their disagreement is with the perceived sexual advocacy among the few LGBT leaders who were asked to leave the BSA for promoting their agenda.

John Stemberger, the founder of OnMyHonor, a coalition of scout leaders and parents of Boy Scouts members, consistently reiterated that gay scouts and gay scout leaders were actively participating in the BSA before Thursday's vote, and said there was never a ban on homosexuals in the scouts. According to Stemberger, "the BSA has a nondiscrimination policy," and the ban was on "gay activism" and "flaunting sexuality."

"With great sorrow, this will be last time I wear this uniform," Stemberger, whose coalition opposed membership changes, announced Thursday evening during the OnMyHonor press conference. He said his role will be to facilitate the process of deciding where the newly displaced scouting community will go, after being exiled from the BSA.

Stemberger said his movement includes "tens of thousands of parents, scouts that are disillusioned, troops that are going to fold and chartering partners."

On his website, OnMyHonor.Net, Stemberger has announced a June coalition meeting in Louisville, Ky., to "discuss the creation of a new character development organization for boys. We will host a national coalition meeting of former BSA parents and youth leaders who wish to return to timeless values that once made the BSA great."

Elizabeth Pritchard, the pack committee chair for Pack 928 in Southlake, Texas, told CP that she's been calling the American Heritage Girls to ask if they plan to start a program for boys. One program that has been announced is FaithBasedBoys.org, a newly created interdenominational organization for boys 5 to 18, that is scheduled to launch in the fall, and will receive guidance from American Heritage Girls.

Others who are departing the BSA en masse are waiting to see if the Royal Ambassadors, a Southern Baptist missions organization for boys in first through sixth grades, will be expanding their program to include the estimated 200,000 to 400,000 scouts who will be leaving the BSA.

[Agamemnon]

If I ever hear of anyone claiming to have been an eagle scout I will ask, what good is it when you couldn’t fight back against the open homosexual takeover of the one group our country could look to and depend on for hope in raising boys to be chaste men?

Speaking as the father of 2 Eagle Scouts who became USMC enlisteds, I'll just say you write like you yourself never earned the right to be called an Eagle Scout, and you are just another wimp who sits on the sidelines and throws stones, like you do on other threads.

Where were you when historical BSA financial supporters like United Way, AT&T, Intel, UPS, Ernst & Young, Merck, Exxon Mobil, etc. were getting themselves and their Boards infiltrated by the moneyed fudgepackers?

Are you going to say you never bought any one of their products in protest against what their Boards were doing and demanding of them that they socially support? Is your 401(k) invested in any of them (assuming you even have one)?

Why don't you just look in the mirror next time and introduce yourself to the person that's a living example of what's wrong with America.

[Essie]

The Boy Scouts are done, and there’s no saving them. But how about the country? The people pushing this are a small minority. But so many, many of the Bible believing Christians that I know simply cannot bring themselves to openly speak about homosexuality or are simply too busy. They grew up with in a community surrounded by people with Christian values. Now, they don’t care enough about their children and grandchildren to fight the long fight that will be necessary. They have an endless orgy of activities which keeps them from paying attention to what really matters. In my opinion, that’s the problem. How do we wake these people up?

[stanne]

To answer your question, I pulled my membership out of ATT and told them why, in addition to writing to them.

I am vocal about the others’ contributions, including Ernst and Young, and have advised my nephew to avoid working for them when he becomes employed after college.

I avoid UPs, I don’t do business with them.

And I have moved all of my funds to a certain mutual fund which clears all investors and investees for pro life and non pro gay businesses.

I have always contributed to the Boy Scouts, have always promoted them when appropriate, on topic, and have kept them firmly in my prayers.

And so I would like to see any evidence of their doing as much as I have, other than prickily scolding me, a widow, instead of facing the real enemy.

[ThePatriotsFlag]

They keep leaving out the poor and misunderstood pedophiles. Shame on you GLAAD...,pedophiles can’t help any more than gays can, so why not include them too. Free love for all.

[stanne]

Jesus said to Martha,

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)

Martha was busy instead of spending time with Jesus.

[verga]

QWaht took them so long

[tenger]

Formosa, The reason you stated in your post is the reason I have not gotten back involved in the Scouts. I grew up (with no father around) in the Scouts in the 70s, earned my Eagle and helped out a bit with a Scout troop in Alaska during some of my USAF days.

Time slipped by. I considered helping out again but thought against it because I didn't have kids. I also know how easy it is to be accused of something (while having no kids in the troop) so I never really considered it beyond a passing). It's unfortunate because I really believe I could have made a difference in kids' lives.

I am totally disgusted with what has transpired over the last few years in BSA. I think they're toast now.

While I understand how you came to your "almost without exception" comment, it doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room for those who care about kids but don't have them.

[formosa]

Sorry tenger. I do not question that your intentions are probably good, but I do tend to be protective and follow a rule of thumb. I err on the side of caution, but the idea of gays being in tents with boys is absolutely forbidden in my mind. Nothing good could ever come of that. It would be like letting your children sleep with wolves. Very creepy.

With all that is happening in the school systems wanting to give 5 year olds sex ed. etc, you would think pedophiles are behind all this insane crap. Parents should really wake up to just how much danger their children are in.

[catnipman]

Fine. The BSA should just go ahead and fully convert to the GSA and be done with it. Then there’s really no good excuse for non-homosexuals to remain affiliated with the GSA and the non-homos can just go ahead and start up a new organization for all of those who flee from the GSA.

[HiTech RedNeck]

France is officially Roman Catholic but the participation rate as I have heard it reported is dismally low. But, it also would tend to mean that those who DO go to worship are serious about it; they aren’t going just because their neighbors go, a temptation that may be larger in a society where a larger proportion of people park their rears on pews on Sunday. And I’d wager that most French Protestants are also out there, pardon the pun, protesting, being serious for the same reason.

[HiTech RedNeck]

There is NOTHING in the Catholic Church which promotes homosexuality.

I wish it were true, if you mean the Roman Catholic church according to the flesh (kata sarkos). Some "ideal church" which doesn't count the perved priests, I suppose so. I can say that there would be a holy stir if this new Pope Francis decided to pay some of these gay parishes a personal visit to call them out on it. The internet has made the world small, this is not like St. Peter's world.

[stanne]

Hmm. He already has done so.

It’s apparent when people who want to hate the Pope and the church from the right side don’t ever quote him nor do they cite any written reports, facts nor written documents.
And when presented with these things, they go off and nurse hatred instead of fighting along with him in the battle they’re pretending to wage after finding out he’s not only on their side, but a way ahead of them.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio and the LGBT community:

Last edited Wed Mar 13, 2013, 03:24 PM USA/ET - Edit history (2)

He has affirmed church teaching on homosexuality, though he teaches the importance of respecting individuals who are homosexual.

He strongly opposed legislation introduced in 2010 by the Argentine Government to allow same-sex marriage. In a letter to the monasteries of Buenos Aires, he wrote: “Let’s not be naive, we’re not talking about a simple political battle; it is a destructive pretension against the plan of God. We are not talking about a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.”

He has also insisted that adoption by homosexuals is a form of discrimination against children. This position received a rebuke from Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who said the church’s tone was reminiscent of “medieval times and the Inquisition”.

And from the Nat’l Cath Reporter:
Argentina’s president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, publicly rebuked Bergoglio for his comment about adoption, according to the National Catholic Reporter, which describes him as “unwaveringly orthodox on matters of sexual morality, staunchly opposing abortion, same-sex marriage, and contraception.”

The publication also notes, “Nevertheless, he has shown deep compassion for the victims of HIV-AIDS; in 2001, he visited a hospice to kiss and wash the feet of 12 AIDS patients.”

Pope Benedict had regularly used the power of his pulpit to condemn marriage equality in the harshest of terms, most recently using the annual message of peace to say letting gays and lesbians marry is “an offence against the truth of the human person.”

and from the Huff Post, march 13, 2013:

“He was the visible face of the Catholic Church’s opposition to equal marriage and he approached it from a fundamentalist position, posturing that he had to wage a war of God against what he considered a plan of the devil,” said Esteban Paulon, president of the Argentine Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals.

. . . He recalls, for example, that when Bergoglio served as head of the Argentine conference of bishops for several years, he was a die-hard opponent of abortion, and argued against sex-education laws that permit free access to contraceptives and allow Argentines to determine their gender based on their self-identity instead of their biology.

[jonrick46]

Re: ". . . which has always been extremely evil in pre-Vatican II America with a true understanding of Christianity. . .”

------------------------------------------------------------

I am not familiar with the issues with Vatican II and its impact on America. When savagesusie opened up her piece with, "Marxist homosexuals (Cultural Marxists in 30’s) infiltrated everything (Bella Dodd’s Book)-—Atheists/Sodomites all/ Kinsey/Hefner/Friedan/Hay—all to destroy us from within," I thought this opened up an area that one could look at in reference to Vatican II. Was Vatican II infiltrated by Marxists? Vatican II is a subject I am totally unfamiliar as there is any push to reform the Church to its preVatican II culture.

From what I do know, the Catholic Church has been in a fight with these Marxist critters for a long time. The Church has done much to strengthen the family. For a good look read Pope Pius XI's Casti Conubii. I am confident the Catholic Church will fight the atheist/Marxists' effort to destroy the family and its sovereignty over children.

Destroying the Boy Scouts is just one more way they have taken away an important way families can influence the character of their children. If these totalitarians have their way, they will take children away from their parents by force to be indoctrinated by government forms of the Boy Scouts.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I’m not “writing to hate the pope.” I may disagree with the official Roman Catholic conception of what the pope’s powers are but at the least he ought to be a servant of an unchanging gospel. Has this happened not before he became a pope but afterwards? If so I am cheered to learn of it. I am not bigoted over what earthly worship community Christ blesses Christians in, and I hope you aren’t either!

[Agamemnon]

And so I would like to see any evidence of their doing as much as I have, other than prickily scolding me, a widow,...

Being a widow has nothing to do with your standing in this discussion and the fact that you are widow adds nothing your post. Play that card from the bottom of the deck with someone who actually cares. One wonders why even you mentioned it at all.

Secret ballots - this was coup. What can the rank and file do in the face of that? Got an answer or just a brick bat for Eagle scouts?

When you have the temerity to ask Eagle scouts: "...what good is it when you couldn’t fight back against the open homosexual takeover...." I'll remind you that the computer on which you type likely has Intel chip sets, your meals-on-wheels gets funded by United Way, the Exxon gas you pump into your car and your Merck meds all contributed to the overthrow of the institution as the faggots got entwined into its life blood through its sponsorship funding sources.

Had the vote been an on-record one like BSA National votes on policy typically are, membership would know if that 69% vote was even true, and the corrupt leadership who let it all come to pass could be pressured out by the dues paying members.

Ever give money to "Christian Coalition"'s Ralph Reed, who brokered this whole BSA bastardization?

There's plenty of room for people on high horses like yourself to sling your arrows at Eagle scouts, it's just a wonder your self-righteousness isn't clobbering your own self harder already.

[stanne]

“Was Vatican II infiltrated by Marxists? Vatican II is a subject I am totally unfamiliar as there is . . .”

No. There is much propaganda out there hoping this is the case. The most reverent Churches(parishes) adhere to Vatican II and do so while invoking sacred music, Latin use, boys only on the altar, no Eucharistic ministers, etc. The most attendance of new orders, seminarians and nuns, are those which adhere to Catholic teaching and are fully cognizant of Vatican II.

the best way I, a lay person, can explain it to you is that Vatican II was brought about at a period of time in Western culture that was/is exploring the use of Communism. Many of the people within the Church brought in some practices of the outside secular culture that were damaging. The sex scandal is so extreme it bears another heading. In any case, Vatican II was, in a way, misinterpreted.

Many practicing Catholics have been separated from the teachings of the Church. But true catholic teaching is not communist nor is it in any way accepting of homosexual practices (its teaching on this is hate the sin live the sinner and help those afflicted with temptations)

Vatican II gave a lot of people excuses for leaving the church and for hating the Church when they know nothing about it.

Below are some recent citings on the pope, current and former.

also, there are encyclicals. Pope John Paul II wrote extensively in “Theology of the Body”, check, “Humanae Vitae”, and “On Human Sexuality”, all easily available with a google search all post Vatican II and all written by people who know the issues of the culture with extensive education in Western History.

Pope Benedict had regularly used the power of his pulpit to condemn marriage equality in the harshest of terms, most recently using the annual message of peace to say letting gays and lesbians marry is “an offence against the truth of the human person.”

and from the Huff Post, march 13, 2013:

“He was the visible face of the Catholic Church’s opposition to equal marriage and he approached it from a fundamentalist position, posturing that he had to wage a war of God against what he considered a plan of the devil,” said Esteban Paulon, president of the Argentine Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals.

. . . He recalls, for example, that when Bergoglio served as head of the Argentine conference of bishops for several years, he was a die-hard opponent of abortion, and argued against sex-education laws that permit free access to contraceptives and allow Argentines to determine their gender based on their self-identity instead of their biology.

[stanne]

I wouldn’t dream of giving money to Ralph Reed.

It’s a bad future when the BSA does this and it’s a concern for all of us.

[dfwgator]

And now the atheists are after them as well.

It’s over.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Aga and Anne, could we all look at the Heavenly Father and put a lid on the bickering?

I don’t understand quite what a substantive difference is here. We are all filled with consternation over what has occurred to the BSA. Coulda, woulda, shoulda, can this all be put under the blood of Christ and we begin anew? What do we do NOW? I think the Father is warning us to correct our own loose embrace of Him, which has led to a loss of power.

[Delta Dawn]

BSA will not exist in five years. Once the BSA discovers what JCP found out, it will be too late to undo the damage.