Boy Scouts Policy On Gays Divides Readers
My recent column opposing the no-gays-allowed policy of the Boy Scouts of America met with fierce resistance from Scouts, former Scouts and even one gay Scout leader. But an equal number of readers called on the BSA to open its doors and, in the words of Dave G. of Albuquerque, N.M., “show your members what courage means.”
Not surprisingly, the religiously self-righteous used the column as an opportunity to spew. Their letters regularly referred to gays as “queers” and “fags.”
“Gays are the principal AIDS contaminators,” wrote George T., of Colbert, Wash. “They should not be allowed to continue their filthy practice in the Boy Scouts.” Added Carl E., of Kalamazoo, Mich, who described himself as a Christian: “You’re nothing but a lapdog for the filthy and disease-ridden homosexual movement.”
Fortunately, the truly devout demonstrated that it is not Christianity, but its distorted interpretation, that leads to such attitudes. “I hope you’ll remember there are millions of Christians out here who disagree with the religious right,” wrote Craig P. of Spokane. “My deep commitment to full inclusion grows out of my personal relationship with Christ.”
Beyond the hate-mail and other distortions of homosexuality, many readers raised legitimate concerns about the impact of permitting Scouts and Scout leaders to openly acknowledge their homosexuality. Several expressed fears that the Scouts would be decimated by mass resignations. And a reader from Cleveland said he thought his own effectiveness would be undermined.
“I am a gay Scoutmaster, and a darn good one,” he wrote. “Having said that, let me add that my sexual orientation is not known to any member of my local unit or council. I believe the impressionable young men with whom I work would feel uncomfortable and unsure of themselves if they knew their favorite ‘regular guy’ was gay.”
It is undoubtedly true that there would be turmoil during the transition - just as there was when all-white institutions throughout America were forced to open their doors to blacks in the 1950s. Some white members quit their groups, but eventually, most got over it.
It’s even possible that the Boy Scouts would grow in numbers if upcoming court decisions force the BSA to drop the anti-gay ban. Parents like Beth and Fred T. of Tallahassee, Fla., for example, might encourage their 10-year-old son to rejoin the Scouts, which he quit in protest four years ago.
Young Paul had been a Scout for just a short time when his parents received a letter from the BSA requesting that they boycott several corporations that had stopped supporting the Boy Scouts over the anti-gay policy.
“Fred and I were appalled,” Beth T. said in a phone interview. Until then, they had not known of the antigay policy. “Our first thought was to go out and support those businesses.”
Instead, they sat down with their son and explained that some people were not being allowed to participate in Scouting “simply because Scout leaders don’t like something about who they are.”
Without bringing up homosexuality - “He didn’t even know about sex,” Beth T. said - they equated discrimination against gays to bias against blacks and women. They left the final decision to their son, who decided to quit the Scouts and join an adventure group run by the local YMCA.
Beth T. explains why she was so angry. “My niece and nephew are black, so my hackles get up whenever I hear about discrimination. Besides, if they can discriminate against one group today, how do I know it’s not going to be my group next?”
Mention: The Boy Scouts of America, which includes Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, has 413 local councils with more than 5.3 million members.
Source: Directory of Associations, 1995
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The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Neil Chethik Universal Press Syndicate