Do Boy Scouts and Liberals Mix?

[Anonymous]

I think it's a cop-out to say you are against the bigoted stance of the Boy Scouts organization but you still participate with your local troop because they're nice people or whatever. I'm sure you pay a fee to be in that troop and a portion of that fee goes to the national organization, which quite publicly frowns upon homosexuality. To a SMALL extent this is like the people who watched the Jews get carted away in Nazi Germany but didn't say anything because it didn't affect them personally. If you want to participate in Boy Scouts that's your right, but don't try to pay lip service to being tolerant because you're not.

And if you really didn't know about the Boy Scouts' position on these issues, I suggest you 1) read a newspaper once in a while and 2) take some time to investigate the organizations you involve your child in before you enroll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:exactly, the Boy Scouts are a complete melting pot. And I know a few of the boy scouts in my troop growing up turned out gay, and nobody made fun of them and it was never an issue. In fact, you never even hear the word "gay" or any gay issues at Boy Scouts. They just don't want gay scoutmasters, and I can't blame them. Too much risk of abuse.

I'd love to get my sons involved into scouting. It is a complete apolitical organization. Those who think otherwise need to go to a few meetings and see for themselves.

I'm going to tell myself this is a troll, because it breaks my heart that such ignorance exists in the DC area in 2011. And that these people are reproducing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:exactly, the Boy Scouts are a complete melting pot. And I know a few of the boy scouts in my troop growing up turned out gay, and nobody made fun of them and it was never an issue. In fact, you never even hear the word "gay" or any gay issues at Boy Scouts. They just don't want gay scoutmasters, and I can't blame them. Too much risk of abuse.

I'd love to get my sons involved into scouting. It is a complete apolitical organization. Those who think otherwise need to go to a few meetings and see for themselves.

I'm going to tell myself this is a troll, because it breaks my heart that such ignorance exists in the DC area in 2011. And that these people are reproducing!

hah, no not a troll. Zero chance I am letting my teenage son go out in the woods with gay men (who are not parents of kids in the troop) in leadership roles. Just like I wouldn't let my teenage daughter go off in the woods with heterosexual men (again, who are not parents of kids in the group) in leadership roles. unmarried men who volunteer with kids never pass my smell test. sorry.

[Anonymous]

Hey PP, even the gay man with a son in the troop wouldn't be allowed.

But more importantly, what makes you think that pedophiles cannot be married and identify as straight? There was a pedophile in my neighborhood when I was a kid who was all the kids' best friend. He had a wife and two toddler daughters. He would take groups of kids to the pool or other outings. And he wound up convicted of multiple counts of child molestation.

I was suspicious of him from the start but any parent who relied on his being married to a woman and having two kids was making a mistake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey PP, even the gay man with a son in the troop wouldn't be allowed.

But more importantly, what makes you think that pedophiles cannot be married and identify as straight? There was a pedophile in my neighborhood when I was a kid who was all the kids' best friend. He had a wife and two toddler daughters. He would take groups of kids to the pool or other outings. And he wound up convicted of multiple counts of child molestation.

I was suspicious of him from the start but any parent who relied on his being married to a woman and having two kids was making a mistake.

Here's a Boy scout perve who people let off the hook now married:
http://www.postregister.com/scouts_honor/part5.php

The cover-up and LDS VIP members after the reporter:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/expose/expose_2007/episode215/essay.html

Zuckerman's partner is/was the mayor of Portland [Adams].

Yes-boy Scouts is creepy and a normal guy who just happened to be gay reported the story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey PP, even the gay man with a son in the troop wouldn't be allowed.

But more importantly, what makes you think that pedophiles cannot be married and identify as straight? There was a pedophile in my neighborhood when I was a kid who was all the kids' best friend. He had a wife and two toddler daughters. He would take groups of kids to the pool or other outings. And he wound up convicted of multiple counts of child molestation.

I was suspicious of him from the start but any parent who relied on his being married to a woman and having two kids was making a mistake.

sure, always need to be alert. but in my opinion, the priests/scoutmasters/wrestling coaches (Congressman Foley, etc.) who get in trouble are not pedophiles, but just perverts. Being attracted to sexually mature 15,16,17 year old young men is not pedophilia.

and to your first point, I have a hard time believing that. I was active in scouting for years, and am sure that nobody would care if a parent was gay. maybe it depends on the troop. the impression folks on this thread have of scouting is off the mark. scouting reflects the local community, and the values of the local community. it is not racist, sexist, homophobic or anything else bad. it is nerdy and innocent and a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:exactly, the Boy Scouts are a complete melting pot. And I know a few of the boy scouts in my troop growing up turned out gay, and nobody made fun of them and it was never an issue. In fact, you never even hear the word "gay" or any gay issues at Boy Scouts. They just don't want gay scoutmasters, and I can't blame them. Too much risk of abuse.

I'd love to get my sons involved into scouting. It is a complete apolitical organization. Those who think otherwise need to go to a few meetings and see for themselves.

I'm going to tell myself this is a troll, because it breaks my heart that such ignorance exists in the DC area in 2011. And that these people are reproducing!

hah, no not a troll. Zero chance I am letting my teenage son go out in the woods with gay men (who are not parents of kids in the troop) in leadership roles. Just like I wouldn't let my teenage daughter go off in the woods with heterosexual men (again, who are not parents of kids in the group) in leadership roles. unmarried men who volunteer with kids never pass my smell test. sorry.

But PP, would you let your 3rd grade son go off camping, with you (because parents need to go camping with cub scouts until 4th grade)/Webelos) if their den mother was a woman in a same sex relationship?

because thet's who also isn't allowed to be a Cub Scout leader -- lesbians who are open about being in a same sex marriage or relationship.

The Boy Scouts say being homosexual is not morally straight, and all Scout leaders must be examples of moral behavior, so NO scout leader can be homosexual. It has noting to do with risk of sexual abuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's a cop-out to say you are against the bigoted stance of the Boy Scouts organization but you still participate with your local troop because they're nice people or whatever. I'm sure you pay a fee to be in that troop and a portion of that fee goes to the national organization, which quite publicly frowns upon homosexuality. To a SMALL extent this is like the people who watched the Jews get carted away in Nazi Germany but didn't say anything because it didn't affect them personally. If you want to participate in Boy Scouts that's your right, but don't try to pay lip service to being tolerant because you're not.

And if you really didn't know about the Boy Scouts' position on these issues, I suggest you 1) read a newspaper once in a while and 2) take some time to investigate the organizations you involve your child in before you enroll.

Are you the same poster who regularly beats up on catholics? Do you always go around accusing people of hypocrisy if they make trade-offs in their own lives?

What business is it of yours to tell everybody how to lead their own lives? And in such a rude way ("read a newspaper once in a while") to boot? Do you think that by being abrasive and rude, you are going to change even a single mind here?

Signed, not a catholic and have never had a kid in boy scouts, and probably won't

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey PP, even the gay man with a son in the troop wouldn't be allowed.

But more importantly, what makes you think that pedophiles cannot be married and identify as straight? There was a pedophile in my neighborhood when I was a kid who was all the kids' best friend. He had a wife and two toddler daughters. He would take groups of kids to the pool or other outings. And he wound up convicted of multiple counts of child molestation.

I was suspicious of him from the start but any parent who relied on his being married to a woman and having two kids was making a mistake.

Here's a Boy scout perve who people let off the hook now married:
http://www.postregister.com/scouts_honor/part5.php

The cover-up and LDS VIP members after the reporter:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/expose/expose_2007/episode215/essay.html

Zuckerman's partner is/was the mayor of Portland [Adams].

Yes-boy Scouts is creepy and a normal guy who just happened to be gay reported the story.

nothing in those links changes my mind that gay scoutmasters is a bad idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
and to your first point, I have a hard time believing that. I was active in scouting for years, and am sure that nobody would care if a parent was gay. maybe it depends on the troop. the impression folks on this thread have of scouting is off the mark. scouting reflects the local community, and the values of the local community. it is not racist, sexist, homophobic or anything else bad. it is nerdy and innocent and a good thing.

Individual troops and packs and choose to turn a blind eye, but the fact remains that OFFICIAL BOY SCOUT POLICY is that openly gay adults and teens may not be members of Boy Scouts.

They took this to the Supreme Court, and won. This isn't some little "thingy" out there that a few ultra-conservative troops in the Bible Belt have been enforcing. The BSA took this to the Supreme Court to defend their right to discriminate against gays.

Which is fine, they are a private organization -- but it doesn't mean that people have to support them. My son was involved in cub scouts but once I really learned how actively the BSA has fought against allowing gays and lesbians to be members of the organization, I simply had to withdraw my son from it -- and certainly I couldn't serve myself in any capacity. It means wearing a uniform and promising to uphold the Boy Scout Law, and possibly means being put in a position where a lesbian mom I know might be interewted in being a den leader, and I'd have to say, "Sorry-- BSA forbids you from getting involved."

And no, in such a situation I wouldn't "look the other way". What kind of moral values would that show? That I'm aware of the explicit rules of BSA but am willing to just overlook them?

[Anonymous]

All of you are equally intolerant. Have you ever thought that the way to change something is to participate and try to change within. Also, Boy Scouts is a great organization for boys of single parents and boys who would never know anything about the outdoors. Stop being so sanctimonious with your close mindedness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:exactly, the Boy Scouts are a complete melting pot. And I know a few of the boy scouts in my troop growing up turned out gay, and nobody made fun of them and it was never an issue. In fact, you never even hear the word "gay" or any gay issues at Boy Scouts. They just don't want gay scoutmasters, and I can't blame them. Too much risk of abuse.

I'd love to get my sons involved into scouting. It is a complete apolitical organization. Those who think otherwise need to go to a few meetings and see for themselves.

I'm going to tell myself this is a troll, because it breaks my heart that such ignorance exists in the DC area in 2011. And that these people are reproducing!

hah, no not a troll. Zero chance I am letting my teenage son go out in the woods with gay men (who are not parents of kids in the troop) in leadership roles. Just like I wouldn't let my teenage daughter go off in the woods with heterosexual men (again, who are not parents of kids in the group) in leadership roles. unmarried men who volunteer with kids never pass my smell test. sorry.

But PP, would you let your 3rd grade son go off camping, with you (because parents need to go camping with cub scouts until 4th grade)/Webelos) if their den mother was a woman in a same sex relationship?

because thet's who also isn't allowed to be a Cub Scout leader -- lesbians who are open about being in a same sex marriage or relationship.

The Boy Scouts say being homosexual is not morally straight, and all Scout leaders must be examples of moral behavior, so NO scout leader can be homosexual. It has noting to do with risk of sexual abuse.

no I think that is a dumb rule and they should change it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of you are equally intolerant. Have you ever thought that the way to change something is to participate and try to change within. Also, Boy Scouts is a great organization for boys of single parents and boys who would never know anything about the outdoors. Stop being so sanctimonious with your close mindedness.

Agree. A pox on all your houses. Change is necessary, the Boy Scouts need to accept homosexuals. But change happens fastest when people work from within, not when self-righteous jerks get on soap boxes and pi$$ everybody off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of you are equally intolerant. Have you ever thought that the way to change something is to participate and try to change within. Also, Boy Scouts is a great organization for boys of single parents and boys who would never know anything about the outdoors. Stop being so sanctimonious with your close mindedness.

Yes, because sending a check to a discriminatory organization is the best way to show you disagree. I've sent thousands of dollars to those Landover Baptist idiots already. Boycotts are for pansies!

[Anonymous]

and comparing the boy scouts to the klan or to nazis is ______________.

it isn't so bad that you can't join and try to change from within. sensible point of view.