Boy Scouts change policy on gay members a little bit

[GenuineRisk]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/23/us/boy...al-orientation

I say "a little bit" because gay adults are still not permitted in Boy Scouts.

Thoughts? Any progress is progress, so good on Boy Scouting for the members under the age of 18, but at this point, there's no option for gay boys to continue being involved in Boy Scouts when they become adults.

I was a Girl Scout until I graduated High School (Gold Award, yay!), but they've always been a very secular organization, even though the pledge mentions God, or at least it did when I was a scout. My favorite Scout song ("On My Honor") also had a pretty strong spiritual theme. But there was never, to my knowledge, any sort of official issue about sexual orientation. Girl Scouts, in fact, said last year that transgendered kids that identify as female are welcome, too. The Boy Scouts, though, are really dependent on religious organizations supporting them and those organizations clearly have a big say in the BSA policies.

So, I get the BSA dilemma, which is, if they join the 21st Century, they run the risk of losing their main base of membership and support. But I think it shows the danger of depending on faith-based organizations to provide charity and social opportunities- those organizations can very easily be exclusionary by claiming something offends their religious principles, and how do you have a argument with the claim, "Because God told me so"?

So, a sort-of props to BSA for a tiny step forward, and I hope the leadership gets it through their heads soon that gay =/= pedophile. Because, seriously? We're still having this discussion? Criminy.

[dellinger63]

Wouldn't pedophiles target Cub Scouts as opposed to Boy Scouts? Brownies instead of Girl Scouts? Or like 40 being the new 30 are the 12-17 year olds the new 6-11 year olds?

[Danzig]

dell, this is a thread about homosexuals....not a thing to do with pedophiles.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/23/us/boy...al-orientation

I say "a little bit" because gay adults are still not permitted in Boy Scouts.

Thoughts? Any progress is progress, so good on Boy Scouting for the members under the age of 18, but at this point, there's no option for gay boys to continue being involved in Boy Scouts when they become adults.

I was a Girl Scout until I graduated High School (Gold Award, yay!), but they've always been a very secular organization, even though the pledge mentions God, or at least it did when I was a scout. My favorite Scout song ("On My Honor") also had a pretty strong spiritual theme. But there was never, to my knowledge, any sort of official issue about sexual orientation. Girl Scouts, in fact, said last year that transgendered kids that identify as female are welcome, too. The Boy Scouts, though, are really dependent on religious organizations supporting them and those organizations clearly have a big say in the BSA policies.

So, I get the BSA dilemma, which is, if they join the 21st Century, they run the risk of losing their main base of membership and support. But I think it shows the danger of depending on faith-based organizations to provide charity and social opportunities- those organizations can very easily be exclusionary by claiming something offends their religious principles, and how do you have a argument with the claim, "Because God told me so"?

So, a sort-of props to BSA for a tiny step forward, and I hope the leadership gets it through their heads soon that gay =/= pedophile. Because, seriously? We're still having this discussion? Criminy.

yeah, they stand to lose some people.

now, id rather be right than popular. props to them for making a move to be more inclusive. if some want to be exclusive, they can start their haters club elsewhere.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

Wouldn't pedophiles target Cub Scouts as opposed to Boy Scouts? Brownies instead of Girl Scouts? Or like 40 being the new 30 are the 12-17 year olds the new 6-11 year olds?

I'm not sure people who still equate homosexuality with pedophilia are going to understand the difference between pedophile, hebephile and ephebophile.

[dellinger63]

Originally Posted by Danzig

dell, this is a thread about homosexuals....not a thing to do with pedophiles.

So, a sort-of props to BSA for a tiny step forward, and I hope the leadership gets it through their heads soon that gay =/= pedophile. Because, seriously? We're still having this discussion? Criminy.

You didn't read Nicole's entire post then. Gay does not equal pedophilia just as sex with a 16-17 year old does not equal pedophilia no matter whether it be straight or gay sex.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

You didn't read Nicole's entire post then. Gay does not equal pedophilia just as sex with a 16-17 year old does not equal pedophilia no matter whether it be straight or gay sex.

You still haven't offered your thoughts on what you think about the BSA's decision.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

You didn't read Nicole's entire post then. Gay does not equal pedophilia just as sex with a 16-17 year old does not equal pedophilia no matter whether it be straight or gay sex.

yes i did. hers was about scouting, yours was not.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Danzig

yes i did. hers was about scouting, yours was not.

Cut him a break; I imagine he frequents news sources that regularly take one phrase out of context and twist it into something entirely different (e.g., "You didn't build that."). He's only doing what he knows.



So, Dell, what DO you think about the BSA decision?

[dellinger63]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

Cut him a break; I imagine he frequents news sources that regularly take one phrase out of context and twist it into something entirely different (e.g., "You didn't build that."). He's only doing what he knows.



So, Dell, what DO you think about the BSA decision?

It's kind of a Jimmy Crack Corn and I don't care situation for me.