The Boy Scouts of America may have the Supreme Court’s approval to hate fags but they certainly don’t have Philadelphia’s consent. In 2006 the city told the BSA to vacate their 80-year-old rent-free headquarters because the BSA’s anti-gay policies run afoul of the City Charter.
The Scouts cried foul and starting today they’ll face off against Philly in a U.S. District Court. The question is whether the city applies their charter’s rules consistently. After all Philly lets the anti-gay child molesting Catholic Church use public lands, so why not the anti-gay child molesting Boy Scouts? Dan Savage was right — between the two, you’re better off sending your child to a gay bar.
Michael
The RCC should get the boot too.
jimstoic
I believe that the Catholic church operates charities that serve gay people on city property. That’s the difference.
Seth
The BSA is clearly should not get free rent considering their anti-gay policies. However, it’s not fair to say the program has no merit. I would not be as good of an activist as I am now if I had not earned my Eagle – I would never have developed the confidence and leadership skills that the Eagle rank requires. I’m really glad I am a Scout.
Seth
*and the bois at camp were hott too 😉
Sceth
I didn’t realize this issue was still under debate.
Jesse Helms
The BSA is a homophobic organisation controlled by the More-mon church. The Catholic priests only *wish* they had such unrestricted access to tweenaged males.
The sooner their preverted Scoutmaster arses get exposed for their true intentions, the better.
David King
Reminds me when my little brother would get caught staying up past bed time and my folks would tell him to go to bed. Then he’d say something like, “He’s up past his bedtime, too!”
Ya, like that bit of information would have changed anything . . .
Jesse Helms
We had a scary Scoutmaster. He drank vodka 24/7 from a tin cup, smelled like a dead rodent, and couldn’t use a compass.
Were it not for a roadsign, I would still be trapped in a tent in the Everglades!
could be jesse helms could be jason
Jesse no. 3, thank you for your advice on my anal leakage on the other thread. I’ll consult with the Mayo Clinic but if they can’t help me, I’m afraid there are going to be a lot of very young Latin men in my neighborhood with filthy members. God bless the USA and my man hole.
B
No. 5 · Sceth wrote, “I didn’t realize this issue was still under debate.”
It’s not being debated – rather the Boy Scouts are suing the
city in the hope of keeping their freebie.
Mike in Asheville, nee "in Brooklyn"
TO: words by: Daniel Villarreal
Perhaps you should take a few journalism courses?
Philly did not just evict BSA from its “… rent-free headquarters because the BSA’s anti-gay policies run afoul of the City Charter.” Philly abided by both the Supreme Court ruling that BSA is a private membership club entitled to hold its own membership policies AND Philly’s charter that the City cannot support organizations that discriminate against any of its citizens, including us gay boys. BSA was evicted only after they refused to enter into a standard market-value lease for use of the property.
Further, Philly also enters into lease agreements with other organizations that, as private membership organizations, discriminate against some of the citizens of Philly. The Catholic Church, as cited in this post and in the news, also leases properties from Philly and also discriminates against gays/lesbians. The difference, however, is significant. The properties that the Catholic Church leases are used for programs that do not discriminate against others. The Catholic Church reserves its discrimination policies to programs housed in Church owned properties. In the dark and sad days of fighting the death sentence of HIV/AIDS, Catholic Charities offered housing, care and food for many displaced gays. While I despise the Church for its many horrific anti-loving-God policies,and causing much of the stigma against us and HIV/ADIS, they, nonetheless, have also worked to ease the pain suffered by many from our community.
In the event that there are other organization receiving free rent from Philly while violating the City’s non-discrimination laws, then instead of that organization and BSA getting a free ride, they too should have to pay fair-market lease costs or loose their tenancies.
REBELComx
@Seth: It’s good that you are proud of the actual training you received as a scout. But lets not forget…they are not. Had you been out, you wouldn’t have made it to Eagle scout, and being out now, they wouldn’t allow you to impart that training on others.
Jesse Helms
I forgot to mention the BEST part — scoutmaster brought kondoms to our all-guy camping trip. Very kreepy fellow.
Tessie Tura
Scouting was founded by Lord Baden-Powell, A KNOWN PEDOPHILE. Skinny-dipping was encouraged at Scouting events, and LBP often invited friends over to catch the scenery.
Tessie Tura
@Seth: Especially if you can still fit into your uniform. Sure you’d be a hit at the local leather bar.
gossipgirlboy
They should be happy it lasted 80 years. Nobody gets a free ride anymore.
Steve
That’s fantastic, Philadelphia. Keep up the good work. Those lousy bastards should indoctrinate their children in hatred outside – find a campsite or something. Shunning gay children and their parents is probably the most counter-productive policy they could have, and they deserve to be punished for it.
Jack
Boy scouts are lame anyway.