Sir Robert Baden-Powell is spinning in his grave.
The Boy Scouts of America, one of the country’s largest and oldest youth organizations, decided on Thursday to break 103 years of tradition by allowing openly gay members into its ranks.
The controversial move was approved by more than 60 percent of the approximate 1,400 votes cast by the BSA’s national council. According to the new resolution, beginning Jan. 1, 2014, “no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.â€
“The resolution also reinforces that Scouting is a youth program, and any sexual conduct, whether heterosexual or homosexual, by youth of Scouting age is contrary to the virtues of Scouting,†the BSA stated in a press release.
Lifting the organization’s ban on gay adult volunteer leaders and paid staff was not considered and remains in place.
Pascal Tessier, a gay Scout from Maryland, told Yahoo News that he was ecstatic with the outcome.
“Proud, happy and on top of the world,†he said.
Tessier, 16, had feared that a no vote would mean he would not earn his Eagle award next year.
“The delegates proved me wrong,†Tessier said.
Texas Governor Rick Perry told the Texas Tribune, “While I will always cherish my time as a Scout … I am greatly disappointed with this decision.â€
These kinds of large national organizations commonly have far too many cowards and conformists on their boards. Time for the portion of the Scouting Movement that does not agree to separate from the corrupt national organization.
SDD
In a news story yesterday a gay boy being interviewed said he’d “like to be in the Boy Scouts”. I don’t think the reporter understood how literally the boy meant that.
So if the Gay Scouts can share a tent out camping, do the Straight Scouts get to share tents with the Girl Scouts?
T. Shaw
Don’t ask. Don’t tell. The Pentagon estimated there were approximately 25,000 “active duty†sexual assaults last year. The 52% majority of the 25,000 victims were males.
There were zero reported fragging incidents.
In other news, the Boy Scouts have opened themselves to 12-year-old boys that are so special and so mature as to have deduced that they are gay.
FTA
FTBSA
GoneWithTheWind
Gay boys are already in the Boy Scouts and always have been. They have for a number of reasons choosen to keep their gayness secret. Keeping their gayness secret includes not hitting on your tent mate. That was a good thing. With the movement towards openly gay membership there is no longer any reason to not hit on your tent mate. That is a bad thing. This is the part of the discussion that never seems to get discussed or if it is attempted it is put down with cries of “hate”. A homosexual is “the opposite gender”, simple as that. Should boys be allowed to sleep in tents with others of the opposite gender? If you disagree then why not coed Boy Scout and Girl Scout campouts with each tent assigned to one girl and one boy? Would this cause any parents to balk? If so then why should it be OK to require boys to sleep in the same tent with a gay scout? I know of no solution to this other then the one that existed for 100 years but no that we are overturning that what next? Surely there will be abuses and when the sexual harrasment and sexual abuse happens (as it did in the priesthood) who will be to blame? Who will get sued???
David G.
My son was six months away from his eagle, with this action that will NOT happen. I’ve already sent emails to the local, national offices and to the adult leaders of what is now my sons ex-scout troop. We will no longer support or participate in anyway with Boy Scouts of America (RIP),
The enemy is clearly inside the wire…..
hillclimber
When good men do nothing, this kind of thing surfaces. This decision had to have been decided by those people on the council that have already accepted that the homosexual lifestyle is an acceptable lifestyle. We’ve witnessed a magnificent campaign by the tiniest fraction of vocal zealots.
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