Comments on: LAPD drops ties with the Boy Scouts

By: Susan

Susan — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:26:01 +0000

I am a 10 + year Scout volunteer, a Mom of three boys and Grandmother of a grandson. I totally support the BSA with my time, engergies and monies. I have never, repeat never, refused any boy or leader into Scouting because of any orientation. Sexual or religious. Nor have I been directed to by any paid professional Scouter. My training as a Scout volunteer is sort of the same as the military. Don’t ask, don’t tell. It’s not my business to know another’s personal life. If that personal life (no matter homosexual, heterosexual or criminal) becomes a distration to the ideals of a Scouting unit, then yes something needs to change. The Scouts in my unit don’t want to know my personal life and I don’t share. That’s a key issue that has yet to be addressed by your previous commentators. That may not be the best explaination of my feelings, but it is truly what I have experienced in the wonderful program of Boy Scouts of America. It’s too bad that an organization with such a history here in American can be dismissed because of a few zealous people on both sides of an issue. Where is the tolorance for others? Come to my Scouting District and Units…. I will show you! Here’s wishing the BSA another 100 years to share it’s program with and for all.

By: Jim Hughes

Jim Hughes — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:58:47 +0000

The problem with forming a new scouting organization is that the Congressional Charter the BSA has will prevent that.

The BSA successfully sued to prevent Youth Scouting from forming.

Congress needs to vote to pull the charter.

By: Troop Historian’s Report: 1/16/2010 « A Scout Is

Troop Historian’s Report: 1/16/2010 « A Scout Is — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:31:09 +0000

[...] LAPD Drops ties with the Boy Scouts of America. Not really Boy Scouting but Exploring and specifically Law Enforcement Explorers, the LAPD has elected to bring the program in-house to mitigate criticism that the program, under the Boy Scouts of America, is discriminatory. The LAPD has a history of discrimination problems and no doubt wants to remove some easy targets. My personal hope is that the LAPD recreates the program from scratch, it would be copyright infringement to take the program and materials and just duplicate it in-house. [...]

By: DC

DC — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:28:47 +0000

Amnesty Scouts would be *rad*.

By: Jason D

Jason D — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 19:37:49 +0000

Perhaps GLSEN, or Amnesty International should start a scouting program.

By: Steve

Steve — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:26:22 +0000

“So this organization, once revered and considered an integral part of American youth, is increasingly give the heave-ho.”
This statement is probably more reflective of large urban areas where there are more gay people and higher levels of tolerance.
I live in Colorado in a middle America type town. Don’t get your hopes up. The Boy Scouts are revered here and are viewed as an outstanding civic organization. No one ever says anything bad about them. I have noticed that the Catholic Church and the Mormons have a very large influence on the Boy Scouts—-meetings are often held at churches, there is some sort of badge offered by the Catholic Church, and so forth.
I suppose I support the right of any organization to exclude certain members that don’t conform to that particular group’s belief set. As others have commented on, I just don’t want my tax dollars to be used in any way to support such groups.
As one commenter had proposed, wouldn’t it be great if a more tolerant and open minded group was to form that offered all the experiences the Boy Scouts offered and yet did not promote hatred of gays? I would love to see such a group take off and drive the Boy Scouts into homophobic exile.

By: DC

DC — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:07:28 +0000

I do wish the BSA would man up and own their mistake in mandating discrimination across the organization. Instead, they dig in the trenches. A lot of people I know have absolutely benefitted in the Boy Scouts. The local BSA volunteers & Scouting Moms I’ve met have been happy to meet new people interested in sharing the outdoors with young people and disappointed that I recuse myself from involvement because I am an agnostic lesbian. “When they change the policy, I’ll be happy to come help with your troop,” I say.

I am so glad I didn’t have to face these issues as a Girl Scout. I’d like to see if newer materials for older girls mention homosexuality; the GSA has prided itself on being a reliable source of accurate information on development for its members. When I was a scout 10 years ago, I know they addressed nuclear, single-parent, and blended families positively. I was a little glad to have a lesbian (& her supportive lesbian mom!) in my troop, even though I thought I was “straight but not narrow” back then.

My condolences to all the Boy Scouts here who must reconcile the good the BSA worked in their youth with poor behavior today.

By: lurker

lurker — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:17:39 +0000

yes, the girl scouts of the USA are their own organization, not affiliated with the BSA. They do not have any organizational anti-homosexual policies or religious requirements.

I was a girl scout camp councilor when I was a college student – and the staff was lousy with lesbians. Really freaked my mother out! She warned me that those lesbians may come on to me :) The camp had a “no back-rubs in front of the kids” policy, but there was absolutely no child molestation phobia going on.

By: Priya Lynn

Priya Lynn — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:16:19 +0000

Good question Regan. Are they a seperate organziation with rational policies?

By: Regan DuCasse

Regan DuCasse — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:59:47 +0000

How come the GIRL SCOUTS don’t have this problem?