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Subscribe to RSSA Cub Scout pack in Maryland has decided to jettison its gay-friendly membership guidelines under threat of losing its Boy Scouts of America charter, according to a statement on the pack’s website.
Pack 442 of Cloverly, Md., had adopted a non-discrimination policy that read: “Pack 442 WILL NOT discriminate against any individual or family based on race, religion, national origin, ability, or sexual orientation.”
But over the weekend, the pack posted a notice on its website reading: “Due to pressure from the National Capital Area Council of BSA, Pack 442 was forced to remove its Non-Discrimination statement in order to keep our Charter (set to expire Jan 31st). This Non-Discrimination statement, previously posted here, welcomed ALL families.”
The pack’s position ran counter to the Boy Scouts’ membership guidelines, which ban openly gay members or leaders.
Activist groups stepped up their campaign to end the longstanding ban last year after California teen Ryan Andresen was denied the Eagle rank because he is gay, and following the dismissal of Jennifer Tyrrell as den leader of her son’s Tiger Cub pack in Ohio because she is a lesbian.
Theresa Phillips, committee chair of Pack 442, said her group had the same motivations.
“I think we need to start at this level,” she told NBC News on Saturday. “We need to teach the boys … respect for other people and their lifestyles.”
A call placed to Phillips on Monday seeking comment on the removal of the policy was not immediately returned. It was not clear if the pack would continue to accept all families under a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach similar to the one used by the military until it was rescinded last year.
Cub Scout pack may lose charter if it keeps gay-friendly policy
The pack’s member families approved the non-discrimination policy last August, and it was discussed in detail with district leaders and the regional council, to which the pack belongs, from August through October.
The issue appeared to be settled, but when the council “contacted us a few weeks ago pressuring us to remove our statement, we attempted to negotiate a rewording of the statement that would represent a compromise on the matter, but ultimately NCAC leadership felt only removal of the statement would be acceptable,” the pack said on its website.
“It's clear to us that they chose this time to bring that up because they knew that we needed to recharter at the end of January,” Phillips said.
Scout Executive Les Baron, a council leader, confirmed to NBC News on Friday that the pack could lose its charter if it maintained the policy: The “policy of the Boy Scouts are what they are and my job is to not bring into (it) my own personal feelings.”
The pack committee had been split on a way forward, which prompted a poll on whether they would keep the policy and possibly not be rechartered, or if they would remove it and return to a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy welcoming all families.
The poll, which ended Friday night and was conducted on the pack website, came out 53 percent in favor of reverting to “don’t ask, don’t tell” and 47 percent backing the new policy, said Phillips, who voted in favor of explicitly including gays and lesbians. The poll had called for a two-thirds majority, she said.
The Boy Scouts reaffirmed its ban on gays and lesbians in 2012 following a two-year confidential review.
A national BSA spokesman, Deron Smith, said in an email on Friday that the private organization "has policies that all councils and local units agree to follow."
Related:
Gay teen denied Eagle Scout: 'Change is happening' over Boy Scouts anti-gay policy
Eagle Scouts return badges to protest policy banning gays
Boy Scouts: We're keeping policy banning gays
Leave a Comment:
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I vote with my dollars. I won't be buying anything they sell or donating until they change this bigotry.
This is so gay, just let the gays in already... or don't.
Either way it's a privately held organization and nobody here including myself has any power or right to tell them what they can and can not do.
We sure do. We can refuse to donate to their organization, we can inform them of our disappointment with their bigoted and small-minded view of reality.
We can't FORCE them to do anything, but we can make it awfully uncomfortable for them to have to explain to their kids why everyone else calls them hateful scumbags.
Ah yes the right to protest. Sure we could, but that still doesn't negate the fact that we can't force them to change their policies.
I don't care either way, what I care about is that we uphold the law. The Supreme Court already ruled on this however it looks like the BSOA are going to change their policy regardless.
So meh... looks like all this huffing and puffing was just a waste of time really.
That same "huffing and puffing" is what forced the BSA to racially integrate.
Yeah? You think the BSA would have made move one without this 'huffing and puffing'?
Not a chance, like most conservative organizations, they'll be dragged into doing the right thing, kicking and screaming.
Correction:
There, FTFY.
Honestly I agree that the BSA can keep their policy as is. And I don't think anyone should FORCE them to change solely for politics. But I do firmly appreciate being informed on the issues involving the organizations so that I, as well as others that prefer the teaching of tolerance, know that I will not enroll my children or willingly provide any funds to such an organization. If your view is that homosexuals should be banned, then by all means continue to support the organizations that agree with you, but do not complain if the membership diminishes because families that don't believe in your views seek different organizations for their children and support, and do not seek to hide your views from your members for fear of their abandonment.
How about some names for the new Gay scout club
" Young Packers of America club, "
"Youth Closeters of America club"
"Little pipe welders club of America"
"Fruity Youth of America Club"
"Lickers of America CLub"
" Blowhard of America Club"
"Obama's Boy's Club of America"
" Barack's Youth Playpen of America."
Hope this helps.
Sure does, thanks for self-identifying as a bigot!
'ppreciate it!
The boy scouts are the BOY scouts, a christian based organization dedicated to a moral code , it is and always should be such. They have gay pride day,that thiers and thiers alone.
False. The BSA is non-sectarian and not Christian per se. For example, there are troops sponsored by Jewish synagogues and Hindu temples, as well as troops with no particular religious affiliation. And the Scout Oath doesn't mention any particular religion and doesn't mention sexual orientation at all.
The real problem is that the national BSA is currently run by bigoted Mormons and Southern Baptists. As a result, it's no surprise at all that the BSA used to have racially segregated troops.
Many years ago when I was a kid there were 3 Jewish kids in my Boy Scout troop.
So you're saying it's OK if they ban all non-Christians? After all, Jews, for example, don't follow the "Christian moral code."
FTFY. Nothing moral about bigotry.
Interesting............in another story today it sounds like the BSA is getting ready to drop its ban on gays and let each sponsoring organization make the decision for its own troops. That's the same way the BSA originally handled the race issue, by allowing individual troops to decide whether to be whites-only.
Still bigoted and ignorant, but progress of a sort.
STOP COMPARING HOMOSEXUALITY WITH RACE...THEY ARE NOT A RACE. they are people attracted to their own gender and deviant sex! Yeah BSA should allow crackheads, prostitutes, etc....yeah it'll happen. They will stop the biggotry and hatred and allow some bestiality..they just need to see the light and what's good for those kids... we need society to wake up to progress!
It must really frustrate you that the BSA is about to drop their bigoted policy, possible as early as next week.
FYI - OUTScouts.com - the social network for gay scouts, is providing a supportive environment for LGBT scouts, leaders and supporters.
There are several other good organizations too, like http://scoutingforall.org/ and http://www.scoutsforequality.com/
Another once great organization following to Queer Pressure! Makes me sick!
Religious groups should play no role in formulating laws dealing with gays- Equal protection under the law is not a religious issue. discrimination is alive and doing well in the churches of our land and they may well be able to hide behind the freedom of religion amendment(1st) but to impose their puritanical beliefs on others is wrong.
The Mormons and Catholics are supporting the BSA and use it to promote such discriminatory behavior with the club of $$$ over their heads.
Are we not all the children of God?
QUESTION: if you disagree with a certain group's moral policies, why not join a different group or organization whose moral code alignes with your own. Why feel you have to force everyone to conform to your ideologies?
This same thing is happening in churches. People go thru painstaking effort to work themselves into positions of power in churches who profess the risen Christ. They profess repeatedly the believe the same doctrine of that church for years - until they gain power. Then, when they are in a position of authority, they begin teachoing contrary to the doctrines of that faith.
The denomination splits and they take control of all the assets while those who remain faithful to their beliefs must start over, elsewhere with nothing but their faith.
Why is it that you think your hapiness depends on changing what other people think and believe?
I don't let my 12 or 13 year old daughter go on camping trips with middle aged heterosexuakl men.
What makes you think I should let my 12 or 13 year old son go on camping trips with middle-aged homosexual men?
Same thing.
Unless the the Boy Scouts learn a little more tolerance they will become as irrelevant as the tea party republicans as we move into the 21st century. The vast majority of today's youth, conservative or liberal, don't care about the color of ones skin or sexual preference they care about the quality of character and you treat others.
It's interesting and sad that there is so much weird anti Gay gibberish on the vine. The comments on the other news article about BSA getting close to dropping the ban, filled up fast, with lot's of real ignorant and mean things.
Funny isn't it? Articles about gays, guns, Muslims or immigrants always seem to bring out the droolers.
Boy Scouts please: Stand strong on this issue DO NOT CAVE!!!!!! U have got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything...If u give in, another piece of America wil be lost.
It is WRONG to consider letting in homosexuals!!!!!!
One of our MAJOR jobs is to help young men, grow up and learn to be Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent. Letting homosexuals in destroys trust, destroys loyalty, teaches the young boys/men wrong ideas about what there role in life is to be. We have been involved in Scouts for over 15+years and still are helping out. We now have two boys who have earned there Eagle Scout. What a disgrace it will be to be associated with Scouts if it goes down hill, and does not stand up for its rights. My boys have worked hard, to earn there eagles awards and have done much more because we have taught them to work hard and stand up for what it right. What a tarnish, to those who have worked so hard, and now would be associated with a group who is unwilling to protect and teach our young men. I strongly believe in "youth training" and Background checks in all volunteers but it wrong to bring in homosexuals.
Thank you
A Scout Mom and volunteer.
It's too bad that someone as bigoted and ugly on the inside as you are has a) had children; and b) participated in scouting.
+1
The Boy Scouts should reject the idea of including Gays in their organization for some very good reasons. Molestation is one of the main causes of a boy becoming a Homosexual/Gay. The Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy found that boys molested by men are almost four times more likely to become a Homosexual/Gay. There are a few visable examples of this truth. The first is CNN anchor Don Lemon who was molested as a boy and is now declaring he is Gay. There is ex Congressman Mark Foley, molested as a child and is now declaring that he is Homosexaul/Gay. Linda Jernigan, an x-lesibian now, was molested into the homosexual life style when she was twelve years old. The famous homosexual/gay child molester Father Shanely from the Catholic Church scandle, was himself molested as little boy into the homosexual/gay life style by other Gay Priests. The Archives of Sexual Behavior reported that "eighty six percent(86%)of offenders against males described themselves as homosexual". The Military has Homosexual/Gay rape problems as well. Gays make up less than one percent of the military. The most recent Defense Department annual report says that forcible sodomy and other homosexual assaults have increase from 10% in 2010 to 14% in 2011. (Center for Military Readiness web site)
A quote from a Homosexual/Gay: "We will sodomize your sons in the bathrooms and lockerooms of this nation" , and it looks like in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts as well if people don't make their voices known.
ke
The Boy Scouts organization has a right to uphold Biblical ideals as they have from the beginning. It is not bigotry, it is upholding moral standards. Strange how those who cry don't be intolerant, are themselves intolerant of others' beliefs. I know former homosexuals, but do not know former blacks. Why is that?
That Cub Scout Pack's leaders should not have been deviating from BSA organizational policies in the first place. Perhaps the BSA should re-consider giving them a charter at all, since the Pack leaders apparently do not wish to abide by or uphold the standards of the BSA.