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The Heterosexual Boy Scouts
Dateline: 1/09/98
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On my honor I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. |
I suspect that the person who created the Scout Oath never thought that the Scouts would take the last word, "straight," so literally.
In fact, it has long been suggested that the founder of Boy Scouts, Robert Baden-Powell, was gay, and he can be found on a number of "Gays in History" lists and many books have dealt openly with the topic, including noting passages from his diary and correspondence wherein he often expressed enjoyment at watching young men swim naked, enjoyed pictures of nude men, and expressed disdain for female nudity. Further indications of his orientation include his decades-long friendship with Kenneth McLaren, with whom he served in the British Military and always made sure he bunked.
However, while the Scouts are training leaders, none of those future leaders, or those who teach them, are allowed to be gay. In fact, if a parent of a Scout is gay, the Scout policy is to bar that parent from Scouting events.
Timothy Curran, an Eagle Scout who was dismissed from his position as an Assistant Scoutmaster when the local council discovered what his local troop always knew, that Curran is gay, has sued, and his case has just been heard by the California Supreme Court. Curran maintains a great site about himself, and his trials and tribulations with BSA.
As noted in the news stories, the primary issue for the case in California is whether the Boy Scouts of America are a business. The reason this is the issue is that under California Law, a business may not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Also suing BSA is a girl who was not allowed to join because of her gender, and two boys who were forced to resign because they are agnostics. BSA requires a belief in God.
A few years ago, the Boy Scouts stopped by my son's elementary school to recruit (funny how so many people who do recruit, are the ones most concerned that gays and lesbian recruit ;>). We asked the folks at the table whether they enforced the national rules regarding gay/lesbian parents. Their response was, "At this time we don't..." and they were very nice.
However, what were we supposed to do.... have Daniel join the Scouts only to be told that his parents may not participate at a later date?
Fortunately, Daniel wasn't too keen on the idea, being more interested in the latest Sega games (he has since moved on to N64).
In leaving the campus we stopped by to say hello to two of Daniel's former teachers, and told them why we had been on campus and what the Scout rules say. Their response, "Isn't that illegal?"
It made us smile that they would assume that something so wrong was illegal. That it would be obvious to them that it should be.
But why hasn't it been obvious to the courts yet?
One possibility is that so many remain wrongly concerned about the effect of gay and lesbian role models on youth, along with the highly irrational and unsupported by fact fears regarding child molestation.
Another thought is that where children are concerned, Courts have been loathe to uphold the rights of gays and lesbians, although that tide has been turning, including the recent good adoption news.
However, regardless of the alleged rationale, the bottom line is that the Scouts, who put forth an ideal of teaching what is good and right to their members, are instead teaching them bigotry and hate, which amongst other tragedies could lead to additional alienation and gay youth suicide.
Perhaps it's time for the Boy Scouts to learn a lesson from the Girl Scouts who do not have these onerous rules.
No doubt, if they don't retreat on their own, the Courts, and issues of fundamental fairness, are going to catch up to them.
In Pride,
Deborah
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