“Every American boy shall have the opportunity of becoming a good scout.”
~Boy Scouts of America, Handbook for Boys, 1911
I was disappointed with the Boy Scouts today. They were supposed to make a decision regarding their organization-wide ban on gay scout members. Instead, that decision has been deferred to May.
The Boy Scouts are feeling heat from both perspectives on this issue, that is if the side of discrimination and bigotry can be called a perspective (more like a delusion). A number of religious organizations, including the Maine Christian Civic League, have signed a statement encouraging the Boy Scouts to “stay morally straight.” That statement also includes a threat to end their support, including financial support, to the Scouts, if they change their policy.
The topic is not merely a matter of liberal views vs. fundamentalist delusions. Our country is moving in a direction of civil rights and there is no turning back now, anymore than we would turn back and reinstitute racial segregation. Those opposed to basic equality for gay and lesbian individuals, which, for now, includes the Boy Scouts of America, are on the wrong side of history. The direction we are moving in is obvious. DOMA was overturned, more and more states continue to legalize same-sex marriage on the heels of high court rulings in favor of equality, and in every walk of life gay and lesbian people are becoming more accepted. A majority of Americans now support marriage equality and Maine recently became the first state to legalize marriage equality by popular vote. This is the first time in history we’ve had a president who openly affirms equal rights for us.
When I was in high school (Class of 2005) I was harassed and bullied on a daily basis for being gay. Several students and even some teachers regularly did whatever they could to make me feel unwelcome and down about how I was born. It got so bad that I attempted suicide and had to transfer to another high school. When I sued the school district, their attorney said, “Yes, we did all those things, but they weren’t illegal at the time.” In 2005 I told my story to Maine’s legislature and helped pass the anti-discrimination bill that makes it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity in education, employment, housing, credit, and public accommodation. Now less than a decade later, my little sister attends the same high school and reports that there are several openly gay students who are accepted and that the homophobic bullies are in the minority and remain silent, as they should.
Whether or not it is the right way to make this decision, the Boy Scouts will likely choose a course of action based on finances. Membership has drastically reduced over the years and a large number of major companies have already terminated their funding to the Scouts due to the Scout’s anti-gay policy. Such companies include Intel, Emerson, Verizon, 3M, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Pfizer, Valero, UPS, U.S. Bank, Eli Lilly and Co., GE, Monsanto, Medtronic, PNC, Nationwide, Abbott, General Mills, Alcoa, Caterpillar, Illinois Tool Works, Allstate and Dow Chemical. In any case, if the Scouts uphold their current policy, they will become increasingly outmoded and unpopular to the point of no longer being able to maintain their existence.
As was true with the US Military prior to the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, gay scouts and leaders are already present in troops across America. I know this because I was a Boy Scout for several years. I did all the things that you might expect in scouting and it was a very good experience for me. Among other things, I participated in box car racing, skeet shooting, camping, wood carving, and a number of other activities that no boy should be denied just because of how he was born. It is worth pointing out that the Girl Scouts do not ban lesbian leaders or scouts from their troops.
I hope that come this May, the Scouts will make the right decision and end their discriminatory policy. Opponents of equality still have a voice and are putting all their efforts on trying to maintain the last remnants of homophobia in our society. They know they are quickly becoming irrelevant and that their message is rapidly losing support in modern America. When such groups become trivial hate factions and go the way of the KKK and Neo-Nazis, I really hope the Scouts are not in the same boat. Whatever decision they make this May, there will be unhappy people and the Boy Scouts will have to follow their own motto – Be Prepared.