BSA to treat gay Scouts like lepers

Okay, maybe that wasn't their exact wording but I found this offensive. The link leads to an AP article that expands on the Boy Scouts of America's grand plan for dealing with gay Scouts -- who will enter the fold as of January 1st, in case you haven't been following this. Here are some depressing excerpts from the article:

A frequently-asked-questions document anticipates that some objections might surface from parents — or Scouts themselves — in cases where a unit includes an openly gay boy.

Regarding shower and toilet facilities, the BSA says it is encouraging units to provide greater individual privacy, including moving away from the tradition of group showers.

"The adult leaders have the discretion to arrange private showering times and locations," the BSA says. 

Oh, great. So their most excellent plan involves sequestering the gay boys to make them feel less than human. How giving -- and Christian, come to think of it! Always doing good, these BSA adults.

And they plan to open the doors wide to bigoted parents so they can insert their pinhead views into the scouting experience by kicking gay Scouts out of assigned tents -- should the mood strike them. In the excerpt below, BSA assures bigoted parents that they won't be forced into a situation where their lily-white innocent children might have to, you know, see the gay. Horrors! Not the gay! Here are BSA's own words, literally inviting bigoted parents to intrude into troop activities:

"If a Scout or parent of a Scout makes a request to not tent with another Scout, their wishes should be honored," says the BSA.

Lovely. Or rather, ugh!

Ah, but that's not all. Here's a final gem from the piece:

The biggest sponsor of Scout units — the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — commended the BSA for a "thoughtful, good-faith effort" to address a challenging issue, and said it would stay engaged in Scouting. 

That says it all. Hey BSA guys, let me make this real simple for you. If you're pleasing Mormons, you're doing it all wrong. Discriminating against gays is what Mormons do. When they say they like what you've done so far, that's the equivalent of receiving Satan's Seal of Approval.

It seems the Boy Scouts of America learned nothing during its recent tryst with teh gay. Their message as they begin to open their doors to gay scouts is: We're still gits and we'll always be gits. I hear you loud and clear, BSA. Thanks for this informative telegram from the abyss.

Stage two for the Boy Scouts

So the Boy Scouts thought they were off the hook. Not so. Today, Caterpillar takes the next logical step.

PEORIA, Ill. — Caterpillar Inc. says it will no longer give money to the Boy Scouts of America because the organization doesn't allow homosexuals to serve as adult leaders. 

Half-done isn't the same as done. Congratulations, Caterpillar. I'll remember this the next time I'm in the market for huge farm machinery.

Catholics, Baptists and Boy Scouts, oh my!

There's an article at CNN about Baptist churches that are planning a mass "exodus" from the Boy Scouts of America, now that BSA has decided to treat gay kids fairly. Can't have that, no siree.

But the article also veers into other religions. Although the Catholic church seems to have no problem with the change (after all, they've got a ton of gay kids in their schools, and they only hate gay adults), some hateful Catholic priests do plan to join the exodus.

“I do not feel that it is possible for us to live out, and to teach, the authentic truth about human sexuality within the confines of the Boy Scout’s new policy,” said Lapp,  a pompous Catholic priest.

You really have to wonder how celibate priests got such a tight handle on the "authentic truth about human sexuality". But the biggest wingnut in the anti-gay Catholic Scouts movement is John Stemberger. The article wouldn't be complete without mentioning him.

John Stemberger, founder of On My Honor, a group that opposed the Scouts’ change in policy, plans to convene conservatives in Louisville, Kentucky, in June to consider forming a new Scout-like group, which could be up and running by the end of 2013.

I can just imagine the uniforms they'll design for these straights-only scout troops. I figure they'll have a big, golden cross on the front, and an American flag sewn into the back of the shirt. It reminds me of that famous quote by Sinclair Lewis:

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."

Stemberger exemplifies this fascism perfectly. Perhaps he'll head the new organization and institute a Hitler salute for the scouts. Seriously, I cannot wait to see the uniforms for this newly minted Christian scouting organization. And hey, there may be major changes, too. Like maybe they'll camp out in churches -- you know, to avoid floods and predators. It'll be a whole new kind of scouting. Huzzah!

The article gives some hint of what these new scouting organizations might look like. Baptists already have an in-house organization for boys. It's called the Royal Ambassadors. A quote from one of their religious loons describes what it's like for the boys in the organization.

“We really have an opportunity here to strengthen our RA programs,” the Rev. Ernest Easley, chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, said in a sermon last Sunday, “and to get the boys in a program where they’re going to be protected, where there’s a high moral standard and where they will have an opportunity to learn about camping, missions, evangelism in the local church.”

Sure sounds like fun, huh? You have to pity these kids.

Leaving the Scouts for Bizarro World

There is a strange article at NBC news about anti-gay fathers pulling their sons out of the Scouts now that gay kids are welcome in the organization. They seem to think the inclusion of gays instantly transformed every troop into Sodom and Gomorrah.

Consequently, a few wingnut fathers had half-a-chat with their sons, and told them they could no longer be a part of their beloved Boy Scouts. The kids were crushed.

“I feel pretty bad about it,” Evan [a boy whose father pulled him out] told NBC News, noting he liked the camp-outs, and archery and slingshot activities he enjoyed in Pack 56. He said that he understood there was a vote that led to his parents’ decision. He explained that he understood it as: “It was between honor and God, and not honoring God. And [not] honoring God got more votes.” 

The poor kid doesn't even know why his father is pulling him from his favorite activities. That explanation reminds me of how some parents describe sex to their kids without ever mentioning, you know, sex. Here's another tale from the article:

“It was hard to explain to a 9-year-old the complexities of why I was telling him that we had to quit,” Miller said. “He told me, 'Daddy, it should be like church. Everybody should be welcome.'”

Miller said he then told Cody that the point of going to church is to seek forgiveness — not for being all-inclusive.

“I said, 'These people aren’t asking for your forgiveness,'” Miller, 51, told NBC News in a telephone interview. “What they're doing is saying, 'this is what I am and you have to accept me like I am. I'm not coming to try to change.'

Seriously, these are episodes from Bizarro World. I can just imagine the sparkling, new organization these fathers will create for their holy Scouts. They'll probably stage a crucifixion each week to keep the boys on their toes. Maybe dress them up in vestments now and then to play "mass".

Gay-hating men are so weird. I don't think they even understand what they object to. It's just a big, mushy, frightening thing in their brains. It scares them so much that testosterone rages through their bodies and clouds their brains even further. They seem to think they're fighting a war, or something.

Hey, dads. Get over yourselves. Gay people exist and we're not going away. You'll  have to accept us or go find a hole in the ground to live in. And congratulations on making your sons cry for no rational reason. You sure know how to be great dads! PS: Enjoy Father's Day. Maybe someone special will give you some valium.

Never "make an issue" of your sexual orientation

I trolled the wingnut sites today to see what they're saying about the Boy Scouts of America changing its rules to allow gay Scouts. It was weird because I kept running into the same argument. I guess Wingnut Central commanded its minions to parrot this idea. Here it is, in all its glory.

Many homosexual Scouts have participated in Boy Scouts programs under the old policy (i.e., no gays allowed), and did so without making an issue of their sexual orientation.

Isn't that sweet? Gays mustn't "make an issue" of their sexuality. I guess that would be in keeping with how straights mask their sexuality at all times, never having public weddings or going out for a walk with their wives. And heaven knows they never admit to having children. They don't even wear wedding bands, lest it tip people off and reveal their sexual orientation. It's all kept mum; no tell, no harm. 

Right. Straights proclaim their sexuality loudly, often from the rooftops, using a megaphone. They can't stop telling you that they're straight. It's like an addiction. In fact, their arguments against gays in scouting are yet another announcement of their sexuality. It's all one big, brassy announcement that they're straight -- and aren't they marvelous for having chosen such a special, god-approved sexual orientation? It just makes you want to rush over and hug them.

But dog forbid a Scout lets anyone know that he's gay. That would be a sin -- and it would make the baby Jesus cry.

Upsetting day for gay Scouts

So the Boy Scouts are going to decide today whether to "allow" openly gay scouts to, you know, exist. No matter how things pan out, whether they're included or excluded, it's a really shitty day for gay people.

Who else has to suffer through moments when bigots get to decide if it's okay for them to exist? I really can't think of any other groups that go through this in the United States. Do we question whether Latinos, African-Americans, men or old people can join organizations? Never comes up (except in bigoted country clubs, of course). No full-fledged organization can deny the rights of any group in this country -- except gays.

That heavy weight is resting on the shoulders of every gay Scout today. Even if the vote goes the right way, they'll know they just inched inside the boundaries of this organization -- and they'll be aware that many don't agree that they should be "allowed" there.

Allowed? What kind of a screwed up world is this, that a child has to wonder if he's "acceptable" to others, simply because of who he is?

Being gay is great. Ask any adult gay or lesbian person. But getting to this point is like walking through a minefield -- with hate, rather than bombs, exploding all around you. And why is this the case? Because of Christianity, of course. It hates gay people with a passion unknown in its other endeavors. Only hating the gays gives Christians that special, holy thrill. Jesus would be so proud.

Let's hope the Scouts do the right thing today. These gay kids already know that their right to marry is on the chopping block. Let's at least let them enjoy their childhoods.

Scouts' gay ban offensive to some religions

We keep hearing that the "religious right" is offended by the idea of the Boy Scouts removing their ban on gay members and leaders. Today, Frank Bruni tells the other side of the story in a column at the NYT.

“From my faith perspective, singling people out for exclusion from the life of the church or the life of the community cannot possibly be part of God’s plan,” Ward [a Scout leader and elder in his Presbyterian church] told me on the phone recently.

He added, “If you look at the people Jesus tended to be most suspicious of, they were people who sat in positions of authority to say that they had the unique ability to judge others.” 

It's an interesting take on the situation. And it's a viewpoint we never read about in the news. Short version of Bruni's column: some religions are not obsessively focused on hating gay people. And since the Scouts’ bylaws "require equal treatment of every religion’s teachings", something is very wrong here.

Another one bows out

Carly Rae Jepson, a person I have never heard of, is canceling her appearance at the Boy Scout Jamboree. Good for her, whoever the hell she is.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Carly Rae Jepsen is canceling her performance at the Boy Scouts of America Jamboree because of the scouts' exclusion of gays. 

This is the second cancellation over the scouts' gay exclusion policy. More from the story:

Rock band Train also warned that it won't appear unless the organization stops barring participation by gay scouts or adult leaders. Train said on its website that it was unaware of the policy before agreeing to perform and that the organization must now make "the right decision." 

Train I've heard of. Good. I feel sorry for the kids -- but their parents shouldn't have signed them up for religious boot camp.

Alternatives to the Boy Scouts

This one sounds like fun. It's a Christian wingnut organization called The Assemblies of God's Royal Rangers. Check out the group's description:

"We provide Christ-like character formation and servant leadership development for boys and young men in a highly relational and fun environment," says the Rangers' mission statement.

Every four years, the organization brings together several thousand boys and adult leaders for a "Camporama" at the Rangers' campground in Eagle Rock, Mo. Last summer's event featured a high-ropes course, two zip lines, a water slide, and a lumberjack show.

Like the Southern Baptists, the Assemblies of God considers homosexuality immoral and has urged the Boy Scouts not to lift the ban on gays.

I don't know how they'll keep the gays out, what with that "lumberjack show". I wonder if the lumberjacks shower with the Royal Rangers after the show -- you know, to help the lads establish manly behaviors. Probably, huh?

Rick Santorum is insane

Wingnut politician Rick Santorum hates the idea that the Boy Scouts may soon allow gay scouts and adults in the organization. Okay, we expect this from him. But the man reveals the depths of his insanity by turning this into a conspiracy of the strangest sort:

The former GOP presidential candidate also identified a socio-economic divide in the debate over allowing gay boy scouts, asserting the wealthy CEOs who comprise the Boy Scouts' board would be shielded from the negative effects of lifting the ban.

"It makes sense that men at the top of the food chain whose boys are insulated, although not immune, from the harmful effects of societal change are behind this effort," he said.

Sure, it makes sense, Ricky. To you, maybe. This guy is so out in left field. But that's why it's great fun to have him around. Go, Ricky!

Gays, Boy Scouts and good ol' Southern bigotry

Over at the Daily Beast, Michael Tomasky eviscerates southern bigots for their reaction to the Boy Scouts' statement that they'll (probably) allow gay scouts and adults in the organization. Here's a tidbit:

As I've written previously, we are past the point in this country now where one's views on homosexuality can be called a "matter of conscience." No. Being against equality here isn't a matter of conscience anymore than having been against racial equality in 1955 was. It is just bigotry plain and simple. Enough. Piss off. Go form your own Boy Scouts. Go form your own stupid country. You aren't America anymore.

Scroll down on the "reaction" link to read what the Southern Baptist Convention had to say about opening up the Boy Scouts' ranks to gays. These cavemen have to go.

Gay Boy Scout to make Eagle rank?

We still have to wait for the final decision of the national Boy Scouts organization, but this great kid is getting strong local support. Good for him! I'll report back when the final decision is in. And boy, are they going to look bad if they turn this kid down.

Shades of the Vatican

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Local Boy Scout leaders, police officials, prosecutors and mayors helped hush up numerous child sex abuse allegations against scoutmasters and other volunteers, according to details in a trove of nearly 15,000 pages of so-called "perversion files" compiled by the Scouts from 1959 to the mid-1980s. 

It's just like the Vatican.

At the news conference, Clark blasted the Boy Scouts for their continuing legal battles to try to keep the full trove of files secret.

"You do not keep secrets hidden about dangers to children," said Clark, who in 2010 won a landmark lawsuit against the Boy Scouts on behalf of a plaintiff who was molested by an assistant scoutmaster in the 1980s. 

The same words (bolded above) were spoken to the Vatican: how can you keep secrets when children are being harmed? It's a sensible question. So why do these men who run Christian institutions have such a terrible record of allowing children to be abused, and then hiding it? I think it has to do with men and sexuality. 

Many straight men can't deal with their own occasional gay thoughts so they go hog-wild when presented with any instance of gayness. But you'd think that since this isn't just gay behavior but sexual predation of children, they would speak up to protect the kids. Nope. 

Children were objects of prey within the Catholic church and the Boy Scouts. And the sad fact is that there isn't much self-examination going on in either organization -- because they're doing jeebus' work, which means they can't be wrong. They've created their own Catch-22 situation and they're sticking with it. It will be the end of both organizations.

Birds of a feather

Does this sound familiar?

Over two decades, the Boy Scouts of America failed to report hundreds of alleged child molesters to police and often hid the allegations from parents and the public.

A Los Angeles Times review of 1,600 confidential files dating from 1970 to 1991 has found that Scouting officials frequently urged admitted offenders to quietly resign — and helped many cover their tracks.

"Bessie! Get my glasses! I think this is the same thing those filthy Roman Catholic priests did!"

Now, isn't that amazing? Both of the most virulently anti-gay organizations on the planet did exactly the same thing when confronted with child rapists in their organizations -- and then continued to lash out against gay people for no rational reason.

Could it be that morality is not something you can learn from a dusty 2,000-year-old book? In fact, could the opposite be true? Could morality be totally lost when you rely upon such a faulty source for your moral sense? Gee, I wonder.

I've heard this song before

AP:

Internal documents from the Boy Scouts of America reveal more than 125 cases in which men suspected of molestation allegedly continued to abuse Scouts, despite a blacklist meant to protect boys from sexual predators.

Gee, that seems familiar. Now, let me see...Oh, yes, it reminds me of a certain church. Isn't it odd that the Boy Scouts of America and the Roman Catholic Church are the loudest and most virulent enemies of GLBTs -- and yet we see rampant child abuse within both organizations, abuse that each organization was long aware of, yet never corrected?

What's wrong with this picture?