Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think my son would love boy scouts. I think there are many wonderful things he could get out of it. But I owe it to him to teach him to stand up for values we as a family hold dear, and not giving money to organizations that promote homophobia and discrimination is on that list. So, we choose other things for him to do.

No where in my scout teaching have they ever talked about gays being bad. I am not sure where you are getting this information from.

When an organization excludes a group of people from membership that's discrimination. Regardless of what they teach or talk about in scouting, the organization as a whole has discriminatory practices.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was completely against Boy Scouts for my son because of their stance against the gay community. However, I just learned that apparently it is quite variable by jurisdiction. I was advised to find out what the reality is in the DC area. Can anyone educate me? Thanks.

There is no stance against gay community. There is a policy of not actively promoting or allowing gay leaders in a position of dominance over younger scouts.

There is also a policy of not allowing children who identify as gay or atheist to join.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was completely against Boy Scouts for my son because of their stance against the gay community. However, I just learned that apparently it is quite variable by jurisdiction. I was advised to find out what the reality is in the DC area. Can anyone educate me? Thanks.

You do understand why it would be a problem for an all male organization to have elder gay scoutmasters or scouts?

Why would it be a problem? Surely you do not equate "gay" with "child molester"??

Especially why would it be a problem to have a lesbian mom in a committed same sex relationship with another woman be a den mother for my son's cub scout pack?

Also, our daughter's Girl Scout troop has a male leader who is the father of one of the kids involved. Surely this isn't a problem? If so -- why?

Anonymous wrote:I was completely against Boy Scouts for my son because of their stance against the gay community. However, I just learned that apparently it is quite variable by jurisdiction. I was advised to find out what the reality is in the DC area. Can anyone educate me? Thanks.

There is no stance against gay community. There is a policy of not actively promoting or allowing gay leaders in a position of dominance over younger scouts.

Anonymous wrote:I think my son would love boy scouts. I think there are many wonderful things he could get out of it. But I owe it to him to teach him to stand up for values we as a family hold dear, and not giving money to organizations that promote homophobia and discrimination is on that list. So, we choose other things for him to do.

No where in my scout teaching have they ever talked about gays being bad. I am not sure where you are getting this information from.

Anonymous wrote:I think my son would love boy scouts. I think there are many wonderful things he could get out of it. But I owe it to him to teach him to stand up for values we as a family hold dear, and not giving money to organizations that promote homophobia and discrimination is on that list. So, we choose other things for him to do.

Wow. We are channeling each other. I just was about to type this exact same thing, pretty much. Stuff like this reminds me of that poem/story! "First they came for the Socialists ...".

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007392

I think my son would love boy scouts. I think there are many wonderful things he could get out of it. But I owe it to him to teach him to stand up for values we as a family hold dear, and not giving money to organizations that promote homophobia and discrimination is on that list. So, we choose other things for him to do.

We are in VA and are really not sure whether to let our son do it. He wants to, but we have a gay relative and hate the policy. However, both DH and gay relative were eagle scouts. There is also the huge church affiliation which doesn't thrill us.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was completely against Boy Scouts for my son because of their stance against the gay community. However, I just learned that apparently it is quite variable by jurisdiction. I was advised to find out what the reality is in the DC area. Can anyone educate me? Thanks.

You do understand why it would be a problem for an all male organization to have elder gay scoutmasters or scouts?

DCUM, please, please for once let's not feed the ignorant troll.

Anonymous wrote:I was completely against Boy Scouts for my son because of their stance against the gay community. However, I just learned that apparently it is quite variable by jurisdiction. I was advised to find out what the reality is in the DC area. Can anyone educate me? Thanks.

You do understand why it would be a problem for an all male organization to have elder gay scoutmasters or scouts?

I drive my son to a troop on Capital Hill. I was clear from the start that we're Jewish and it was never an issue - they actually asked me to bring some Jewish stuff into the event schedule. I have purple hair and whatnot and they were nothing but nice to me and my sweet son. I hate the policies of the main Boy Scout organization, but it so fit my son's personality that I knew I owed it to him to bite the bullet. He loved it, and I keep writing letters hoping that main will change their minds on their bigoted and hateful ways.

Our local troop is quite accepting. You still have to send a check to the national level to join which makes me pause..but it has been so great for my son, I do it anyways. I hope the organization changes policies soon.

I spoke recently with friends who are lesbians raising a boy scout. They of course had the same kinds of concerns that you raise, but they investigated and found that the local troop was very tolerant and indeed they have gotten involved as troop moms and it has been no problem. THe bias seems to be on a national/policy basis but in this area there are tolerant troops.

I was completely against Boy Scouts for my son because of their stance against the gay community. However, I just learned that apparently it is quite variable by jurisdiction. I was advised to find out what the reality is in the DC area. Can anyone educate me? Thanks.