I sent a letter to the editor of our local newspaper, and it was published yesterday. The situation that I wrote about started with the local Boy Scouts of America troup having their annual Christmas tree sale at a local Baptist church. A lesbian couple who are well known in town (and were the first same sex couple to marry in the county the first day that it was allowed in summer 2008) wrote a letter to the newspaper reminding everyone that the BSA discriminates based on sexual orientation and religion (not everyone knows that you can't be a boy scout or leader if you don't believe in a supreme being), and that there are other places to buy Christmas trees from groups that don't discriminate. A local scout leader wrote a vicious letter to the editor in response, accusing the married couple of intolerance, and saying that as a private organization the BSA can determine their own membership rules. My letter said that the couple never asked the BSA to change their policy or challenged their right to sell trees, and as a private organization the BSA can set their own policy. I pointed out that the couple merely reminded everyone that the BSA discriminates, and that people should think about spending their money with a discriminatory organization.
I used a calm tone in my letter but I really dislike the BSA. Many if not most of their supporters are right wing, anti-gay, anti-women organizations, such as the Catholic and Mormon churches. They are also too blindly patriotic for me. They're part of the "vast right-wing conspiracy" that Hillary Clinton talked about years ago, and she was correct.
I realize that others will have very different feelings about the BSA. I know former scouts who are gay who support the BSA, but I won't, and I won't even consider letting my son Leo join. I really have no respect for any discriminatory organization.
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I was very active in Scouting when I was a teen and even earned my Eagle rank (the highest).
ReplyDeleteThe assertion that I am immoral because because I am gay and no longer believe in God is repugnant.
Adolf Hitler would be considered fine material for the BSA, were he a teen today. I would not.
i don't know if you saw or not that the LAPD decided to take their youth explore program in-house because of affiliation with BSA that did not mesh with their discrimination policies.
ReplyDeletewww.scpr.org/news/2009/12/22/lapds-explorers-program-sever-ties-boy-scouts/
I grew up in the Mormon contingent of the BSA. I can say looking back that it gave me some of the best and worst experiences of my life.
ReplyDeleteI highly commend what the LAPD has done and I was really pleased when I heard about it last month.
If we could have more organizations like BSA but without the misogyny, bigotry, zealous patriotism and elitism that stains the organization today, I believe we would have a stronger society in general. As it stands now it's really just another religious private club in the guise of a semi-public organization that does nothing more than perpetuate the these social sickness rather then educate them away.
As the Mormons seem to be the most dominant religious member, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the Mormon church or it's members eventually infiltrate the organization permanently to save it from what it fears is possible secular influences. After all, their greatest fear is the gay-atheist-intellectual who believes women are not subservient to men.
This is very interesting, I was reading a article about Malawi and Uganda's law against Homosexuality, and how people are now trying to get the UN etc to put pressure on those countries to be "dragged into the 21st Century."
ReplyDeleteSome institutions and even countries, still have a long road to travel,it is a pity that some need to judge others in order to feel whole.
www.gayoncemeanthappy.blogspot.com
i knew hillary clinton is always right! dont be worried about the pics we havent sent any bad pics. and it was a online date haha (i have no life! haha). i trust him a lot.
ReplyDeleteOne of these days you'll see an interesting post on my blog about this subject. I know I'm new here (and months late commenting), but I must say I now share some of your views. Perhaps not as vehemently, though I know EXACTLY what you are saying, and agree with the sentiment.
ReplyDeleteJay in VA