On the heels of the Boy Scouts decision to keep its ban on gay scouts and scoutmasters (for now, anyway), a new Quinnipiac University poll suggests a majority of Americans think the organization made the wrong call.
From January 30to February 4, surveyors asked 1,772 registered voters “Do you think The Boy Scouts of America should continue its ban on openly gay members or end its ban on openly gay members?”
Among the poll’s findings:
* American voters support ending the ban by a margin of 55-33%
* White Catholics support gay scouts 63 – 25 percent, while 44% of white Protestants want the BSA to open up scouting, compared to 41% who say no. White evangelicals oppose gay scouts 56%-33% percent.
* Women support gay scouts 61-27%
* 54% of those surveyed were Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts
“An organization that serves youth and chooses to intentionally hurt dedicated young people and hardworking parents not only flies in the face of American principles, but the principles of being a Boy Scout,” said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. “The Boy Scouts of America is choosing to ignore the cries of millions, including religious institutions, current scouting families, and corporate sponsors, but these cries will not be silenced.”
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jmmartin
Just like the armed forces and professional sports, the Scouts are peopled by gay and bisexual young people, both Scouts and Leaders. The most absurd remark abut the controversy came from Tony Perkins, the Most Homophobic Man of Earth. He claims that Boy Scouts should be able to go camping without fear that they might be — what, propositioned? (Camping? So that’s what goes on in those tents.) Shiver me timbers as my friend Derek keeps saying. The Scouts has been a “breeding ground” for queers since it was founded by a Brit. It is where a boy discovers whether he is gay, straight, or somewhere in-between. But while the heterosexual Scout does not need to explain his orientation to the gay Scout, the opposite is true, too. We must look forward to the day when a gay Scout says, “You know I’m gay, right?” and the other Scout says, “I’m straight but I love you as a friend.”
LadyL
@jmmartin: From your lips to the universe’s ear, sweetie! 😉