gay!

the city just decided to raise the rent on the boy scout's local headquarters in center city by 199,000 bucks a year, due to their position on gay leaders. i wrote this to respond to another message board, and thought it would fit in here, as well....


here's my take on it (i guess).

it seems like national is really out of touch with the local organizations, (to be fair, the local organization seems a little out of touch with the troops, too, but that's another issue). whatever national's position is today (banning all gays, banning openly gay leaders, banning people who wear purple shirts on tuesdays in november, whatever), i really do recognize the fact that, of course, BSA is a private organization and can make whatever retarded rules they want.

the problem is that the retarded rule really isn't fair in and of itself...i could stand here and say that preaching homosexuality absolutely does not belong in scouting. and you know what? i really do believe that. (*gasp!*) but before i get labeled a malicious person, i really don't think that sexuality really belongs in scouting at all, gay, straight or otherwise. the boys shouldn't hear about what the adults do in their bedrooms, regardless. would you tell the boys in your troop "hey, i'm married to a woman, and we like to have kinky sex!"? or have a leader talk about how he has sex with a number of women? certainly not. these things don't belong in a youth organization, gay or straight.

scouting shouldn't be the place where you learn about sex (well, i could see if they wanted to give general advice, like safe sex whenever you choose to do it), but scouting should be more about non-specific morality and camping (bass, trout and pickerel, as well). helping old ladies, holding doors, and standing up for what you believe in, not necessarily standing up for what the old-heads believe in.

when i was growing up in my troop, i had never even heard of the whole debate about gay leaders (and hopefully our boys now aren't being dragged into it, even though they are...). my troop (and parents!) taught me to treat others well, that everyone is equal, and that if i feel something is unfair, i should try to change it. i remember my handbook specifically saying that last one, in fact...

i know there was controversy a few years ago about the scout leader who wore his scout uniform to a gay rights protest. and i think scouting was justified in calling for his removal. if a straight man wore his uniform to a pro-life march, or an anti-death penalty march or a gun-rights or a klan meeting, same thing. they specifically say that the scout uniform is only for scout activities, because when people wear their uniforms to other things, it attaches Scouting to that cause, which it usually wants no part of (except the anti-gay rights thing...)....

i think the city has ulterior motives with the marks center, i really do. i don't believe john street gives a shit about the gay community or the scouts. the city comptroller (or whoever it is) is gay (motive), the city knows what the property is worth (motive), and they're turning the school district building into condos i think (motive). but the city made a deal 80 years ago to let the scouts use the land forever, and a contract is a contract. how much good has COL and Phila. council done for the city over the years? how good has scouting been to the city? how many boys are off the streets one or two nights a week because of local troops? and let's not forget that the brass of COL DID try to make peace with the city, got in trouble, made a compromise, and was told that it was good enough by the city. nothing to be too surprised about, hopefully it can be pushed off until street is gone, and some more competent people are running the city.