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.

[MacNaughton]

60 My rule of thumb is always this. If a man or woman gets involved with scouts etc., and does not have children involved, then their intentions are highly suspect at best. ... Call me paranoid, but I do not think it is normal for an adult to want to spend time with children of strangers in situations where they may be alone with them or there is some chance there might be nudity.

64 A healthy dose of caution is called for, however some singles might well have the right heart.

Given the times, paranoia can be excused, sadly. I knew many single men over the decades who served as scoutmasters and assistant scoutmasters. And they were all bona fide heteros. Singles' involvement in Scouting too, may become collateral damage in this all out cultural war. Of course, BSA National has required a criminal background check of all adult leaders since 2011.

[MacNaughton]

79 You said the Mormon church was complicit and when asked you said I was supposed to do the research. That’s a waste of everyone’s time and attention and it is a play on words and logic. State the facts of your accusations against the Mormon church or drop the slander, please and do keep me out of it.

Just trying to lay out the facts ... make your own conclusions.

The LDS Church took a beating, from the inside and outside, for aggressively supporting Proposition 8 in CA during 2008. Since then, the Church has moved on to other battles in the cultural wars rather than to continue to take on the homosexual-rights activists for several reasons.

 Church leadership felt like it was left holding the financial bag after other evangelical denominations failed to come through with promised aid in the fight against Proposition 8. Top church officials were heavily involved in the creation of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), the primary player over the last decade in the fight to outlaw gay unions.

 Church leadership feared that continued support of anti-homosexualsexual marriage measures would continue to generate negative publicity which in turn would limit the ability of its farflung missionaries to engage potential converts.

 The Church wanted to be more welcoming to its members who are afflicted with same-sex attraction.

 There are, at least, 5 nationally prominent Mormons in the U.S. today.

1. Mitt Romney has had advocated for homosexual membership in the BSA since 1994 when he sat on the BSA National Executive Board. When he ran for the U.S. Senate against Ted Kennedy during the 1990s, he went to the left of Kennedy (if that was possible) on homosexual issues. When he took over leadership of the 2002 SLC Winter Olympic Committee he denied Boy Scouts from volunteering at Olympic venues. In the 1996, Boy Scouts volunteered in large numbers at the Atlanta Olympics. On his watch as governor of MA in 2004, it became the 1st state to legalize homosexual marriage. Church leadership did not want to harm Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.

2. Harry Reed is a U.S. Senator (D-NV) and current Senate Majority Leader.

3. Glenn Beck is a libertarian/conservative talk radio host and media mogul. He announced his support for homosexual marriage in 2013.

4. Jon Huntsman Jr. is a past progressive governor (R-UT) and former ambassador to Red China under POTUS #44 BHO. In FEB 2013 he (1) announced his support of homosexual marriage and (2) signed the amicus brief of the plaintiff to oppose California’s Proposition 8.

5. Wayne Perry is the current BSA National President and co-owner of the Seattle Mariners. He personally pleaded the case with the Prophet of the LDS Church to support a change in BSA’s membership policy to accept homosexuals. This would be a major reversal of the Church’s position in 2000 when it heavily supported the BSA when the SCOTUS ruled in BSA’s favor in BSA v Dale.

[stanne]

Interesting. More than what C at B gave us, whose name always gets me thinking about that Chris Christie and his abandonment of our country’s interests in his schmoozing BO for federal money for the Jersey Shore.

Anyway, too bad people like the Mormons can’t take a lesson from the Catholic Church and see what they have to offer in the way of homosexuality and charity while preserving unwavering identity of male and female.

[MacNaughton]

163 Anyway, too bad people like the Mormons can’t take a lesson from the Catholic Church and see what they have to offer in the way of homosexuality and charity while preserving unwavering identity of male and female.

Sadly, I am very concerned about the RCC's position on the new BSA membership rule. What with the Church's history over the last ~25 years regarding predatory priests, I was hoping for a stronger response. It may yet come ...

2/07/2013 - Letter from Col. (Ret.) John J. Halloran Jr., National Chair
http://www.nccs-bsa.org/BSAComment.htm

5/15/2013 – Letter from Scouts for Equality to Cardinal Dolan.
http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/local/united-states-conference-of-catholic-bishops/168/

5/19/2013 – Letter from Bishop Robert Guglielmone (Diocese of Charleston) of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting to the homosexual activist group, Scouts for Equality.
http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/local/the-diocese-of-charleston/166/

5/23/2013 – REACTION TO POLICY CHANGE IN MEMBERSHIP STANDARDS FOR THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA - National Catholic Committee on Scouting
http://www.nccs-bsa.org/comment/NCCSComment52313.php

5/24/2013 – Statements from the Washington and Denver Archdioces
http://www.catholicherald.com/stories/Reaction-to-Boy-Scouts-decision,22922

5/24/2013 – Comments by Bishop Robert Guglielmone
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/boys-scouts-of-america-lifts-ban-on-homosexual-scouts/

[Houmatt]

I guess it is going to have to come down to mt to point this out.

Number one, nobody should be surprised by this. This is part of what they wanted in the first place.

Number two, what you have to realize however is the BSA had no choice.

Let me explain: Homosexual activists pressured major companies that had in the past financially sponsored the Boy Scouts into dropping those sponsorships. It was not done in secret. We all read about how Merck, UPS, etc said they wouldn't give the BSA funds if they discriminated against homosexuals. So what could the BSA do? They had been moved over the proverbial barrel with not a single company offering to pick up the slack the others left.

They couldn't stay solvent without the financial support. Period. And that's why they voted that way.

So don't get mad at the BSA. Get mad at those who wish merely to destroy the BSA and the kids therein.

[stanne]

The Church’s teaching is clear that engaging in sexual activity outside of marriage is immoral. Individuals who are open and avowed homosexuals promoting and engaging in homosexual conduct are not living lives consistent with Catholic teaching.

I’m not seeing a problem from the church, here.

It’s a lot stronger than, “let’s change our philosophy”

[savagesusie]

Don’t yell at me-—Yell at the Vatican and Fr. Oko: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2013/02/fr-dariusz-okos-major-article-with-pope.html

Or yell at Archbishop Fulton Sheen who converted Bella Dodd: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isxEwBxmS5c

Do you ignore the homosexual cardinals and bishops and priests—the ones molesting the Catholic boys and protecting the “homomafia” that Fr. Oko wrote about-—in his Vatican requested investigation of the Homoheresy infiltrating the liturgy and most US churches. You know—the ones who hold “gay” masses at Universities TODAY and lie to the congregations about “sin” and Evil.

AND Notre Dame and other so-called”Catholic” universities who promote V-Monologues and other trash and evil and allow abortion advocates to be honored and celebrated (including Cardinal Dolan allowing Zero at Catholic “dinners” to give his evil agenda a platform).

The blurring of the Truth—the emasculation of the Church—forcing Marxist ideology into the liturgy-— the destruction of the understanding of Natural Law in children-—the destruction of the foundation of the Summa—the Foundation of Canon Law—Natural Law Theory.

Human Vitae was great-—I agree-—but the “clown” masses and the molestations are hardly promoting the Catholic Canon. The making boys interchangeable with girls (girl-altarboys)—is Marxism—hardly a respecting of Natural Law and the differences in the nature of boys and girls. It destroys Reason—Logic and Virtue and the understanding of the Truth and the “Bride” of Christ and simply confuses and corrupts children.

Feminization of the Catholic Church has driven out males and the masculine. It has destroyed the Church from within.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d4eANuMXd8

By the way—I love the Catholic Canon-—I am a profound Catholic. I hate corruption and evil passed as “Truth” and will attack evil even if it is inside the Catholic Church. We are called by God to do it.

[stanne]

Blech

[Pinkbell]

I’m shocked I tell you, shocked.

[SoCal SoCon]

Bookmark.

[dfwgator]

Of course, Jerry Sandusky was married and would have passed any background checks, up to last year, of course.

[MacNaughton]

171 Of course, Jerry Sandusky was married and would have passed any background checks, up to last year, of course.

Right you are. The tragic example that all youth groups should bear in mind today. Like I said, lots of collateral damage with this issue.

[Agamemnon]

All lecturing aside, Red Neck, if one gets into a debate with me you better have the chops to be able to keep up, because I don't roll over to debaters who don't fight fair, and I'll nail to the floor those that don't. I don't care what ever "deprived" group you claim to exist within, claim to be from, or belong to. If any choose to take pot shots at Eagle Scouts, I will take them down. In the REAL current battle against the "Gay-stapo", you'll want me for your ally, not your opposition. One is well advised NOT to piss in this direction.

There's a lot to crawl out from under and a lot of Heavenly shots being fired over the bow as state after state collapses to the homo-mafia and the USSC takes up California's Prop 8 in June. Courts and legislatures are ram jamming this stuff yet only two states: MD and WA actually put gay marriage out to a vote where the populace voted to approve state sanctioned abomination.

Fact is your average rank and file Boy Scout troop was not given a say so with representatives and delegates to the kangaroo conclave in Grapevine,TX, and allowing for free and open debate with supporters and non-supporters all going on record.

The grass roots BSA stood up and won to keep the faggots out at the USSC in 2000 on the basis of NJ BSA's Constitutionally protected right of association in a private membership organization. My then soon-to-be Eagle Scout boys and I were with the BSA at that time.

How many local councils have the jack to keep going to the USSC for such things?

This was an infiltration into the funding networks. How do Eagle Scouts fight that unless they too are on the Boards of all these organizations themselves? Does "stanne" have evidence that those who are Eagles didn't try to stand up and instead wound up being outvoted by others on those Boards?

This was a coup. Might want to remind your friend "stanne" of that fact.

FReegards!

[fwdude]

I agree with most of your post. Bravo! But here is a point of disagreement:

1. The BSA policy goes into effect 7 months from now. Something can happen between now and then.

In practice, the new policy is in de facto effect NOW. There will be no dismissals of openly "geh" scouts as an understood moratorium on the old policy will be in effect, just as it was in the military before the DADT repeal was "effective."

Otherwise, we'd see activist homosexual boys being expelled from scouting now, only to be reinstated in 7 months. This would never withstand ANY legal scrutiny (from what passes for "legal" thought nowadays.)

[Clemenza]

Actually the United States is the largest exporter by dollar value.

[MacNaughton]

You make an excellent point about the new rule already being </i> de facto</i>. I saw a picture of 1 scout in uniform at Grapevine during the business meeting who was said to be a self-identified homosexual. In my readings, I have only come across 2 instances where a self-outed youth scout was kicked out of BSA - 1 in 2000 in the Old Hickory Council (NC) and the other in 2012 in the Silverado Mt. Diablo Council (CA). Undoubtedly there have been others, but my impression is that it is a rare event. Unquestionably, sympathetic troops have shielded known homosexual scouts over the years. The recent rash of scouts being expunged from the BSA have in reality been scouters, i.e., older than 18 (early to mid-20s). Many of these men were employed at summer camps. But you are so right, what volunteer would want to expend the energy in attempting to expunge a self-outed scout now when the likely result would be tremendous blowback on him by the homosexual lobby.

[RinaseaofDs]

Actually, the only option they have is to put it to a once and final vote of the Executive Officers of the Chartered Organizations.

The CO’s bear 100 percent of the financial and legal risk. The Chartered Organizations own scouting. All the BSA owns is the logo, curriculum, and national camps. Oh, and that gigantic endowment, which is its own company and can’t be sued.

71 percent of the CO’s will vote to keep the former policy, and they will likely rip the knob off at that point.

Gay scouts can start their own organization.

[fwdude]

I'm not quite sure of why the long "preparation" time is needed to implement the policy. It's instructive that both the BSA and military need to "carefully implement" these changes over a significant period of time. If it's a no-brainer and all that popular a position, why is the kid-glove's care needed?

But, of course, the pro-resolution officials knew that the new policy would de facto in effect immediately. The long "implementation" period will be used by homo-fascists to inundate top officials with demands to design the new queerified BSA into their own image, and the top officials will, of course, cave.

But, as you stated, a lot can happen through the rest of the year. Hopefully, the organization will completely implode through the massive exit of money and members. This is really our only hope.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Well my chops are Jesus Christ. Yours?

[Agamemnon]

Well my chops are Jesus Christ. Yours?

Jesus Christ is the Lord God, Creator of the Universe, and Redeemer of the same. By Him ALL things consist.

He is not my chops, nor the embodiment of what happens to pass either for my ability to remain abreast of issues or to be able to debate the merits of my position concerning them.

He is far greater than my chops, and I suspect far greater than yours, as well.

FReegards!