Wow. I just read this article that says the national Boy Scouts of America organization is considering ending its ban on gay Boy Scouts and gay leaders. This would be huge–especially since they appeared to be digging in their heels on this just last summer.
According to this article:
The new policy, now under discussion, would eliminate the ban from the national organization’s rules, leaving local sponsoring organizations free to decide for themselves whether to admit gay scouts . . .
“The chartered organizations that oversee and deliver scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with their organization’s mission, principles or religious beliefs,” according to Deron Smith, a spokesman for the Boy Scouts’ national organization.
I am anxious to see how this plays out. Stuart participates in Scouts with our local church group and loves it. I explained the policy to him last summer and he was, to be frank, totally baffled and confused.
And, if the BSA does reverse its position on this, I am perhaps even more anxious (and yes, scared) to see how the Mormon church handles it. Although the article says each unit would be able to decide how to handle this issue, I’m quite sure the Mormon church would come up with a churchwide policy (allowing for individual decision-making isn’t really a strong suit for the Mormon church) with which all the Mormon church-sponsored Boy Scouts units would have to comply.
This is an opportunity for my church–the church wherein I learned, from a very early age, to love others as God loves me–to show that love and acceptance through word and deed. I hope and pray that my church will stand in holy places and be not moved.
(Whispering now: I need this.)
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Edited to add the following:
BSA has announced they may be close to announcing an end to their official ban on gay members and leaders. National headquarters is being inundated with calls opposing this announcement. Mormons Building Bridges is inviting (encouraging) all 2,372 of our members and this group to send an email and/or phone call to BSA headquarters expressing your support and thanks. Let’s overwhelm them with positive reinforcement! When I called to get contact info the man I spoke with said they had never been so busy and nearly all the callers were unhappy about lifting the ban. Let’s give BSA overwhelming support!
1. Letters should be short and respectful and positive.
2. Clearly state that you support them removing the official ban.
3. Include your experience with scouting (former scout, eagle scout, parent of eagle scout, etc.)
4. If you feel comfortable, sign Mormons Building Bridges, or Mormon, after your name.
************CONTACT INFO*********
email: myscouting@scouting.org (Subject line: Opinion on Sexual Orientation Policy)
phone: 972-580-2000 (Be prepared to wait a very long time. Say you are calling to have your opinion be recorded regarding the ban on their Sexual Orientation Policy.
I’d imagine the church will handle it like they do any other calling. If you’re homosexual and celibate you can participate and hold callings. (Not that I’m a fan of this arrangement, but I don’t see it changing because of this.)
Do straight boys who are sexually involved get kicked out of Scouts?
Very good question, Katie.
This policy is absurd–especially the way the church mixes scouts with priesthood stuff. So the church’s policy allows for gay boys (who are celibate) to participate in church/quorum/YW stuff. But supposedly not Scouts? So then a gay boy, presumably, would be able to come on the Wednesday nights where they were doing church/priesthood stuff, but then stay home on the other Wednesdays?
So someone would have to make a calendar, maybe: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, okay to be gay. 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, stay home.
Of course no one actually does this, but it does point out the absurdity of the policy.
Here is a quote from a recent NY Times article I think is interesting:
“In 2000, when a challenge to the exclusionary policy was argued, unsuccessfully, before the Supreme Court, lawyers for the Mormons said that if the Boy Scouts were forced to accept openly gay members, the church would leave. In an interview this month, Mr. Beck said he could not speculate about a hypothetical situation, but he added, “We want to continue relations with the B.S.A. far into the future.” ”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/us/mormons-and-scouts-act-as-partners-in-molding-boys.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
I think removal of the policy actually fits in line with the church’s current train of thought regarding gay issues and I am actually disappointed that they have not done more in recent years to have the policy removed.
The church says that gay members can hold the same callings as straight members. In order for gay people to maintain worthiness, they are must refrain from same-sex relations. They can still identify as gay. However, this conflicts with the BSAs viewpoint because a gay person cannot hold a calling related to Scouting. This is because the BSA does not care whether or not gay people are “acting” on their feelings. They only care that they identify that way.
The same logic applies to gay Mormon youth.
There are many of us who have taken a lot of flack for continuing to be BSA leaders, but who have stayed because we believe Scouting does good things, and that it is easier to get the attention of BSA from the inside. I think that they have been hearing from people at all levels that gay scouts and gay leaders are an important part of Scouting! We are all praying, just as hard as you, that the new policy goes through. :-)
Yay!
Thanks for the info to write letters, call, etc. I will do this for sure. Nonetheless, I’m still waiting and hoping the church will get out of BSA sooner than later–if only for the inequality it brings to the YW/YM program.