Boy Scouts will keep anti-gay policy
After a two-year review and months of debate from allies and opponents alike, the Boy Scouts of America have decided to uphold their policy excluding LGBT people from the organization.
An 11-member committee (whose names and review process are being kept secret) decided that the exclusion policy is “absolutely the best policy” for the Boy Scouts, citing parental opinions as a major factor. The decision was apparently unanimous. This means that nobody besides straight, cisgender boys will be able to be Scouts, and no LGBT parents will be able to be involved with the organization.
My personal hero Zach Wahls, an Eagle Scout, has been active in the campaign to change the policy and had this to say about the Scouts’ decision:
“I’m sure they’ll keep saying this until the day they decide to change the policy,” said Wahls.
He contended that the committee review process should not have been kept secret. “The very first value of the Scout Law is that a Scout is trustworthy,” Wahls said. “There is absolutely nothing trustworthy about unelected and unnamed committee members who are unwilling to take responsibility for their actions.”
Well, the national organization of Boy Scouts has officially lost my respect. Keep in mind that this decision certainly doesn’t reflect the opinions of every Scout group, but the actions of those in power say a whole lot about what this organization stands for.
Now my kids can’t join scouts. :(
I’ll just teach them camping and stuff myself.
