An internal survey conducted by the Boy Scouts of America shows that 97% of Boy Scouts and their parents believe that the organization’s anti-gay policy “negatively impacted their loyalty.”
ThinkProgress reports that “of the 5,800 survey respondents who commented on the policy, 95% said the “reaffirmation of the membership policy negatively impacted their loyalty.”
For Boy Scouts and their parents, that number jumped to 97%.
In a copy of the results obtained by Scouts for Equality, the BSA also learned the organization’s loyalty dropped 11% over the past year – mostly due to the “membership standards policy,” which bans gay members.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
ThinkProgress spoke to a representative of the BSA who commented on the survey:
Of the 9 percent who mentioned this issue, 97 percent of Boy Scout parents and 95 percent of Cub Scout parents had negative views toward the current policy.
Using an open-ended format like this indicates the membership standards policy is a factor, but it doesn’t tell you to what extent the issue impacted loyalty to the BSA, nor does it represent the beliefs of the 91 percent of respondents who did not comment on the issue.
Also, this level of feedback is not unusual. Throughout the years, people involved in Scouting and others who are not related to the program have expressed their disagreement with this single policy in a variety of ways.
Despite these results, the BSA continues to uphold it’s anti-gay policy. Over the past year, the organization has lost members and significant funders and support because of this. Even local councils are calling for national change.
The BSA is expected to make a final decision on the ban in May.
Dakotahgeo
A hierarchy of white old bast*rds need to die out like the republican party! They slaughter their organization by their own hand. This is the right course for them to take!
Cam
Because of this policy the Boy Scouts have lost a huge number of their troops that were not Church affiliated. So now the majority of their troops are run through the Mormon and Catholic churches. They have demanded that the BSA keep this policy.
And yet 97% of scouts and parents in the BSA’s own survey are opposed to it.
The sick old bigots who hold leadership posts in the Mormon and Catholic churches need to wake up to the real world. Remember, it was not until around 1980 that the Mormons allosed blacks to hold actual membership in their church. They are ALWAYS on the wrong side of history with regard to bigotry. The bad PR before was the only thing that forced them to change.
MuscleModelBlog.com
@Cam:
I wonder how the BSA will procede since it is clear that the organization’s members want to end the band, but the churches where the groups meet (and the churches that possibly give money to the BSA) seem to support the ban. There may be a rift on the horizon…
hyhybt
Depending on what was actually asked, “97% of Boy Scouts and parents” could be vastly different when “of those who mentioned this issue” is added, making the headline and the premise of this article false.