I recently took the scout leadership training for volunteers, and “absolutely no bullying/hazing will be tolerated” is very strongly emphasized. Not specifically regarding gays or any other group, but in any circumstance.
All I know is that I’ll howl with laughter when a patrol from a gay-friendly troop sweeps a bunch of competitions, and the super-macho-churchy types get all apoplectic about it.
I never really understood the ban; when I was in Scouts, it always seemed like a non-issue. We did kind of have it all in a sense; there were a couple of guys who’d vanish off into the woods together on occasion, there was a Scoutmaster from another nearby troop who was reputed to be a child molester, etc…
But it didn’t affect us, and we didn’t particularly care. We were 100x more interested in setting shit on fire, stealing the Playboys and Penthouses from the volunteer fire station that chartered us, and screwing with our buddies in the other patrols on campouts than anything like that.
Do the Boy Scouts allow individual clubs to discriminate as they wish on everything? Could a troop deny everyone of a certain race, religion, height, income level, etc? In what capacity is a troop allowed to deny membership to a boy currently? Say he’s redhead and the troop doesn’t like it. If the boy complained to the national organization, would they do anything?
I know racial discrimination is prohibited by the National organization, so there are at least some categories for which the BSA doesn’t allow troops to set their own membership policies.
This issue has always puzzled me. Most scouts are between 11 and 15. I recall a lot of kids dropping out of my troop at 15 and the troop the majority of kids after turning 16. Once you have a car scouting just isn’t that interesting. I left just before turning 17. Dating was more important than camping in the woods with 12 year olds.
How the heck does a 11,12, or 13 year old know anything about their sexuality? I wasn’t allowed to date until I turned 15. At that age teens are so mixed up. How in the heck does anyone know for certain they are straight or gay? Thats something you might not figure out until college.
This whole controversy about gay scouts just confuses me. Scouting is about camping, wood crafts, swimming and having fun.
Why sexualize kids at such a young age? Can’t kids just get together and have fun? Do you have to push sex into everything?
Are you kidding me? I’ve known I was straight since I was, oh, 9 years old or so. What does the age you’re allowed to date have to do with knowing whether you like ladies or dudes?
“Well, 100% of my sexual fantasies involve making out with guys, but I don’t know, maybe I should wait a while and see how things turn out once I am in my 20s” WTF?
Well, clearly there are scouts who participate beyond the pre-teen years, but this isn’t just about allowing gay scouts to be a part of the troop. It’s about letting gay adults be troop leaders and active members of the troop community. It is not bout getting the chance to play filmstrips of Sodomy and You or practice our drag routines. Everything chugged along fine until the BSA got wind that some adults are gay and summarily kicked them out of the organization. If anyone brought sex into it, it was the BSA.
I didn’t develop any interest in girls until I was at least 14. Before that girls were these annoying, yucky creatures that I tolerated. 
Then puberty kicked in, but even then it was just talk and fantasy. I wasn’t that interested in dating until later.
Do you understand that not every human being grows and develops in exactly the same way that you did?
And yes, what Inner Stickler said. Banning gays also keeps gay adults from being troop leaders, and it also keeps boys who might very well have joined BSA before they had any sort of sexual identity from continuing with the organization (for example, becoming an Eagle Scout) after they realize they are gay.
Exactly. I knew when I was already boy crazy in first grade that it didn’t extend to the fairer sex. I’m 44 now and that’s never changed. We’ve had tons of people on these boards explaining how they knew who they were attracted to from a very early age. It’s just different for everyone.
What do you mean by this? They aren’t a Pro-Gay Lobbying organization. They are a scouting organization.
I just sent an email to the feedback@scouting.org address asking National Council to change the policy. I hope my message is one of many, and I hope it makes some difference even the night before the meeting. It’s past time for BSA to join the late 20th Century on this issue.
Thanks to all who are emailing. We got a reminder from our scoutmaster yesterday to write if we hadn’t yet.
Ugh - looks like the vote has been delayed: http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/06/us/boy-scouts-policy/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
I sent this letter on Monday:
Wayne Brock
Chief Scout Executive BSA
1325 West Walnut Lane
Irving TX 75038-3008
Dear Mr. Brock:
I’m very pleased that the Boy Scouts of America is considering a reversal of its ban of gay adult and youth members. I strongly encourage you to do so.
As an Eagle Scout, Class of 1981, and as a Troop Committee member of [Troop # and city], Ohio, I have long appreciated all that Scouting does for boys. My own sons have all been Scouts. But I have, in recent years, been very troubled by the conflict between the policies of the national Scouting organization and my own values. The core principles of Scouting, embodied in the Scout Oath and Law, support the development of good citizens with strong values. In Scouting, boys and young men learn skills and develop personal strength that will enrich them for a lifetime. Just as importantly, they have a lot of fun in well-organized and -supported activities.
One of my best friends from my years on the summer camp staff of Camp McKinley, Columbiana Council, Ohio, is a great guy and model Scout who rose to earn his Eagle. Several years later, he came to the realization that he was gay. When he told this to the leadership of the Scout council in the city to which he had moved, he was asked to leave Scouting. It broke his heart, and that council was thus deprived of his remarkable skills and commitment to Scouting. It made no sense then, and it makes no sense now. It is foolish and wrong to turn away otherwise-qualified and interested boys and adult volunteers simply because they are gay.
The excellence of Scouting must now be made available to all boys. Just as we once rejected racial segregation in Scouting, we can no longer tolerate the exclusion of gay youth and adults.
I hope you will change the policy, and soon. Thank you for your consideration.
With best wishes,
Why did the Boy Scouts de-segregate in the 1960s? They aren’t an Afro-American lobbying organization. They are a scouting organization.
I would settle for a pro-non discriminating organization
I went to a community-feedback meeting last night for the Greater Cleveland Council BSA re: the proposed change in the anti-gay policy. There were about 40 people there, and probably half of them, including me, spoke up during the 1 1/2-hour-long meeting. All but two spoke against the policy and in favor of giving local councils discretion to waive it. There seemed to be a consensus that no chartering organization - schools, churches, etc. - should be forced to violate its founding precepts in order to be involved in Scouting. There were four members of the clergy present, two Episcopal, one Lutheran and one Methodist, all of whom serve in churches which have active Scout troops and/or Cub packs, and all spoke in favor of changing the policy.
It was a well-moderated meeting, all in all, and people were calm and respectful. Two council staffers took notes, and those will be distilled into a report that will go to the National BSA. There will be one more such meeting here.
The BSA national committee vote, we were told, will be May 23-24.
What about atheists?
Only one miracle at a time, please.
BSA voted today to end the ban on openly gay youth! Yay! Much huing, crying and gnashing of teeth ahead, and more than a few lawyers. But a good step forward in my opinion. Story here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/boy-scouts-vote-to-allow-openly-gay-scouts-maintain-ban-on-gay-adult-leaders/2013/05/23/dcb7ee08-c359-11e2-914f-a7aba60512a7_story.html