Later this month, high-ranking officials from the Boy Scouts of America’s National Council will meet in Dallas to discuss a possible lift on the ancient organizational policy banning openly gay members from serving.
Since the Boy Scouts ban on homosexuals became a topic of national discussion, the organization has allowed openly gay children to become members, so long as they eventually grow out of their homosexual tendencies. Fed up with the discriminatory policy imposed on their children, parents across America have increasingly been seeking alternative programs.
The Connecticut Yankee Council, a Northeastern chapter of the Boy Scouts of America, can’t take it any longer. In a statement posted to the Council’s website, Council President Michael Abrahamson took a giant step forward in combating hate from within the organization.
Abrahamson’s statement to parents was posted over the weekend:
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.
Dear Connecticut Yankee Council Scouting family,
The Boy Scouts of America, Connecticut Yankee Council is committed to providing high quality programs that deliver leadership skills, citizenship training, character development and personal fitness to young people in 37 communities in southwestern Connecticut. We are committed to our mission, we respect other’s viewpoints, and we are welcoming of others.
Scouting in the Connecticut Yankee Council is open to all youth and adults who subscribe to the values of the Scout Oath and Law regardless of their personal sexual orientation. All our Scouts and leaders must display the highest levels of good conduct and any sexual conduct within Scouting is unacceptable. Our charter partners retain the responsibility to select the best possible leadership for their units consistent with their moral values.
Our Scouts and leaders repeatedly pledge to respect all people and defend the rights of others. Prejudice, intolerance and unlawful discrimination of any form are unacceptable within our membership.
By remaining true to our values, and keeping our conviction of preparing young people for life, we strive to expand our capacity to serve more youth through high quality programs.
Sincerely,
Michael Abrahamson
Council President
No word yet on how the action will affect the chapter’s association with the Boy Scouts. Let’s just hope the National Council wises up at this grand convention next week and finally puts the last nail in this policy’s coffin.This is the latest advance in equality for the the Boy Scouts of America since GLAAD first began urging for an end its ban on gays in April 2012 after Jennifer Tyrrell, a mom and den leader from Ohio was removed from her 7-year-old’s Cub Scout Pack for being gay.
Polaro
Another reason to like Connecticut.
Cam
This is going to start happening more and more as the troops not controlled by the Mormon and Catholic church don’t want to be tarred by the bigotry that those two churches are continuing to force on the Scouts.
EdWoody
All well and good, but they discount the fact that a solid proportion of boys, whether they end up straight, gay or something else, have their first sexual experiences away at scout camp. I guess I can’t really expect them to admit it openly, although I’m sure they know it deep down. So saying “sexual conduct is unacceptable” is probably a necessary balm to the parents’ freaked-out imaginations, but naive and impossible to enforce.
(Note: I am talking about sexual activity that is consensual and between boys of the same age, not between the scouts and their adult leaders.)
Billysees
@EdWoody: 3
Sounds correct and realistic, especially “freaked-out imaginations” —
“…saying “sexual conduct is unacceptable” is probably a necessary balm to the parents’ freaked-out imaginations, but naive and impossible to enforce.”
NovaNardis
Cradle of Liberty Council — the Philadelphia area council — tried this over a decade ago. What will happen next is that the national organization will threaten to revoke their charter if they don’t comply with national regulations. And then this council will fold like Cradle of Liberty.
Maybe things will chance. I don’t know.