Herein lies the basis of your lack of understanding. Our policy has never changed. It was tested by a outed Gay who got sorta in your face with the local council and tested the policy.
Apparently you still think I am a homo-phobe but let my explain my statement about the campout and activist gay.
The parents of our boys expect us to do everything physically possible to protect their children. The responsible staff would be irresponsible to not take action. What do you think parents see when they look at pictures from the Disney gay party and any single gay event that is publicised? I will answer that! They see inappropriate behaviour. Grounds for dismissal under BSA guidelines. As has been explained to you, the BSA does not actively hunt out gay people who are associated with the program, but if they become known through participation in a gay pride parade or make a public display as this young man did in the SCOTUS case, the parents expect action or they will withdraw support. That is what I meant by activist and acting to protect our kids.
Hypothetically, gays could and and likely are participating in BSA. If they participate in a lewd act or for that matter if anyone associated with the program does, it is grounds for dismissal.
Now, my friend, I must caution you on you inference that BSA could just as well be free not to associate with black people. This is way out of line and I am still fuming!
For one thing, this would be against the law. For another it would be racist and ludicrous!
You are comparing our rules of proper conduct to racism. To me that is totally over the top. If you want to make a comparison, try a atheist. We would handle them in the same fashion as a activist gay. Or, how about a chronic alchoholic or a person who has a foul mouth. These would be proper behavioral comparisons.
No. It's just that i sincerily don't understand you on some of your standpoints.
Now, my friend, I must caution you on you inference that BSA could just as well be free not to associate with black people. This is way out of line and I am still fuming!
For one thing, this would be against the law. For another it would be racist and ludicrous!
You are comparing our rules of proper conduct to racism. To me that is totally over the top. If you want to make a comparison, try a atheist. We would handle them in the same fashion as a activist gay. Or, how about a chronic alchoholic or a person who has a foul mouth. These would be proper behavioral comparisons.
Okay, first of all, I think I stated it in my first post, but it can bear restatement: I do not think the BSA have any racist standpoints, to my knowledge you never had, and I can't, in my darkest nightmares, imagine that you will ever have. But, that being said your response illustrates the misunderstanding that prevents us from agreeing, namely that being a gay activist (as you call it) is a behavioural trait, anymore than beeing black is. Certaintly, there are examples of gays that I wouldn't wan't to take care of any children, but there are also plenty of gay men - outspoken members of the gay community - that I simply can't understand woult be "improper" as scout leaders. I can't see how standing up for gays right to be just as free as anybody else in the US (or in denmark for that matter) can be considered a "lewd" manner. If I can read your post as that the BSA would not consider "being out" as enough reason to dismiss a gay man, but something like, say having public sex for instance, would be enough, then were much more on the same ground than previously thought :) I couldn't agree more with such a policy. However it seems way overkill to throw out all "avowed homosexuals", even with the comments presented by RomF in post #123. Simply being "avowed" hardly makes one "lewd".
What do you think parents see when they look at pictures from the Disney gay party and any single gay event that is publicised? I will answer that! They see inappropriate behaviour.
This I will grant you. At least in part of the US, I belive that parents see this as a generel picture of gay men, or at least as "out-of-the-closet" gay men. As gays are more integrated in society, and as mainstream values is integrated in the gay community (an absolutly neccesary part of gay integration), I suppose this misconception of gay men will become less and less common.