General Discussion

RKP5637

(67,111 posts) Thu May 23, 2013, 07:02 PM May 2013

Boy Scouts vote to allow gay members

Yea, they joined the 21st century, "almost." Leaders still banned, but it's an excellent start IMO.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2013/05/23/boy-scouts-gay-vote/2352077/?csp=breakingnews

The Boy Scouts of America voted Thursday to allow gay youth to participate in scouting. The historic vote, with 60% in favor, signals another shift in American public opinion about homosexuality but still leaves the organization with many future hurdles.

The vote overturns a 22-year-old ban on openly gay scouts. It was based on a line from the 1911 Boy Scouts of America oath: "On my honor I will do my best….to keep myself physically strong, mentally alert and morally straight." Since 1991 the Scouts have barred openly gay individuals from participating in Scouting because it was decided that being gay was incompatible with being "morally straight."

The proposal was voted upon by more than 1,400 voting members of the organization's national council at its annual meeting in Grapevine, Texas, near the Scouts' national headquarters in suburban Dallas. It will become effective on Jan. 1, 2014.

11 replies

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Highlight:

Boy Scouts vote to allow gay members (Original Post) RKP5637 May 2013 OP

K and R! hrmjustin May 2013 #1

I had a feeling the Scouts themselves would not tolerate this bias librechik May 2013 #2

Excellent! I no longer have to feel guilty. vi5 May 2013 #3

I loved boy scouts too. We had an incredible leader and troop. I RKP5637 May 2013 #7

Well, you can still feel guilty. HERVEPA May 2013 #10

Damnit! vi5 May 2013 #11

There are a large number of scout leaders who have been working on this policy Gothmog May 2013 #4

Thanks for the additional detail!!! RKP5637 May 2013 #5

What constitutes a "gay pride event"? MNBrewer May 2013 #8

It's a start rl6214 May 2013 #6

Good, but not good enough. You are getting closer Boy Scouts. morningfog May 2013 #9

hrmjustin

(71,265 posts)

1. K and R!

Reply to RKP5637 (Original post)

Thu May 23, 2013, 07:03 PM

May 2013

librechik

(30,674 posts)

2. I had a feeling the Scouts themselves would not tolerate this bias

Reply to RKP5637 (Original post)

Thu May 23, 2013, 07:06 PM

May 2013

I'm so glad i was right!

Makes me have hope for the future.

vi5

(13,305 posts)

3. Excellent! I no longer have to feel guilty.

Reply to RKP5637 (Original post)

Thu May 23, 2013, 07:33 PM

May 2013

My son started scouting this year and he loves it, but I was extremely conflicted over his participation.

RKP5637

(67,111 posts)

7. I loved boy scouts too. We had an incredible leader and troop. I

Reply to vi5 (Reply #3)

Thu May 23, 2013, 08:10 PM

May 2013

learned a great deal. I'm so glad they decided to do this.

HERVEPA

(6,107 posts)

10. Well, you can still feel guilty.

Reply to vi5 (Reply #3)

Thu May 23, 2013, 08:47 PM

May 2013

Gay leaders are still banned. Atheists/agnostics are still banned.

vi5

(13,305 posts)

11. Damnit!

Reply to HERVEPA (Reply #10)

Fri May 24, 2013, 09:55 AM

May 2013

Well, at least I feel SLIGHTLY (only slightly) less guilty. Especially as an atheist.

Gothmog

(145,321 posts)

4. There are a large number of scout leaders who have been working on this policy

Reply to RKP5637 (Original post)

Thu May 23, 2013, 07:43 PM

May 2013

First, the rules on adults have not changed which means that an adult leader can be gay so long as they do not wear their scout uniform to a gay pride event. The current rule that will remain in effect is a very strict form of don't ask, don't tell where you have to do a great deal to get banned. As a practical matter, the charter organizations who are comfortable with homosexuality will not ask and any homosexuals who want to be a leader can be a leader so long as they do not wear their scout uniform to a gay pride event. Back when I was more active in my district, there were 8 to 10 senior leaders who were gay and no one gave a darn. Three or four of these leaders were at my scoutmaster fundamental training.

My charter organization has had a couple of gay members of the board of trustees and two of the last three presidents were gay. If the local council wanted to make a big deal about this, then it could so long as the council was willing to lose their United Way funding.

The change in the policy as to scouts is a step in the right direction. Ever since the Dale case (the SCOTUS decision involving a gay leader who did wear his scout uniform to a gay pride event), there have been leaders working on changing the BSA policy on this issue and progress is slow but steady.