I first wrote about this topic in July http://newcity.patch.com/blog_posts/and-morally-straight, where I examined how the scout's anti-gay policy is totally ridiculous and harmful.
Today, the momentum for change continues. Yay! Countless Eagle Scouts have returned their badges in protest; some community organizations, local municipalities and places of worship are not permitting the scouts to meet in their spaces; and prominent corporate sponsors are looking to divest. And there is great excitement about the proposed steps the Boy Scouts of America might take to work towards ending their discriminatory policy. Yet, many of us are not thrilled about the proposal.
The Boy Scouts of America are trying to decide this issue by leaving it up to individual troops. At first this sounds wonderful---- for the first time in history we might have some troops that will allow lesbian parents to have children in the scouts, allow openly gay troop leaders and permit openly gay scouts to earn their badges. On the flip-side, this means that there will still be troops that are causing harm, and because of the proposed change, are now actively enforcing a politic based on the devaluing of our LGBT neighbors and children, by choosing to not allow inclusion.
I ask this: why was it OK for the scouts, as an institution, to have a policy that banned gay inclusion totally (even when troops and regions didn’t want it banned) but not OK to discuss a policy that clearly states that it is against the values of the scouts to discriminate. While many call this incrementalism progress, I throw the metaphorical challenge flag. How would we feel as a society, if all our private institutions had policies, in writing, which state that they can selectively discriminate against groups of people who are historically and currently marginalized?
I appreciate the national dialogue we are having. But I think we need to work harder. I call on us to ask ourselves if this is really the change we want to see.
In my opinion, The Boy Scouts of America owe it to themselves to do the right thing and end discrimination, period.
As a person who is gay myself, and who has been speaking against injustice since the age of 15, I feel that these issues of oppression are particularly impactful and our community deserves to read about them. That is why I choose to write about what I write about. If there are issues that you feel should be explored, I recommend that you start a blog. From my experience, The Patch is very open to hearing from community members. I wish you the best.
We have War Veterans groups for specific religions and nationalities. In Ossining, I recall the "Club Latinos Unidos". Try getting into these organizations if you are not one of them. I think less of the Boy Scouts because they exclude gays, but I will not single them out for discrimination. Someone's sexual orientation is their business, if they want to tell me, they can tell me it once, and I don't want to hear it again, as it is between them and their hormones. Boy Scouts- change the policy. Selective critics of discrimination - I do not like your double standard.
Why would you make the jump to concluding that my SON was male? Should read Why would you make the jump to concluding that my CHILD was male? My gay child is a daughter.