Word on the street is the Boy Scouts might allow gays soon?
I’ll believe that when an ex-Nazi pope retires.
The Boy Scouts of America, perhaps one of this nation’s most treasured organizations, is debating whether to allow openly gay scouts. They plan to announce their decision in May.
In the meantime, civil rights groups all across the country are gearing up for what is being dubbed “The Battle for Boys’ Rights.”
Several Scout Masters have already been dismissed for mistakingly referring to the event as “The Battle for Boys’ Tights.”
Following the recent dismissal of the U.S. Military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, it would make sense for the Boy Scouts to adopt a similar stance toward homosexuals within their organization.
However, there is one major difference between the Boy Scouts and the military — one is public and the other is private.
Public institutions like the military are under more pressure than private institutions to adopt an open-door policy toward the LGBT community. Not only do gays pay taxes that go toward military spending, but they also serve in the military and should be able to be open about themselves just like any other soldier.
Private institutions, as we’ve seen in the past, can get away with whatever the hell they want — and rightfully so.
This is America. If I want to start a club and only let my friends in, far be it from anyone to tell me otherwise.
That being said, if I were to start a club, and I chose not to admit homosexuals just on the basis of their sexuality, I’d be an asshole.
Like I said, this is America, where we protect an asshole’s right to be an asshole.
Legally speaking, the Boy Scouts are fully within their rights to continuously deny admission to openly gay scouts, opting to only admit closet pedophiles instead. It’s a ridiculous course of action, but it’s their constitutional right.
The reason the Scouts are forced to debate this issue is simple — money.
The Boy Scouts are a nonprofit organization. They rely on funding from a number of sources, including corporations and religious organizations.
After the Boy Scouts reaffirmed their ban on gays last year, several corporate sponsors pulled back their support from the organization, according to The New York Times.
It’s simple business logic — all customers are the same and must be treated equally. If we are seen supporting an organization that marginalizes a certain group, such as the LGBT community, it’s bad for business.
However, churches sponsor nearly 70 percent of Boy Scout units, and many have threatened to end their support if the national organization ends its ban on gays.
The Scouts have also toyed with the idea of letting local chapters decide for themselves, taking the anti-federalist approach to governing.
This would only lead to individual chapters caving to the will of their particular sponsor.
The Boy Scouts need to get with the times. The only people they should be focused on keeping out are sexual predators, which they haven’t done the best job of in the past.
Pedophiles are sexual predators, homosexuals are not.
I feel like Alabama would argue this one with me.
Rest assured, eventually all but the most radical organizations in America will adopt an equal opportunity admission policy — or they will simply fail to exist.
Stephen Cyr, 13, left, and his brother Paul Cyr, 15, of Boy Scout Troop 21 in Oak Cliff, Texas, attend the ìSave Our Scoutsî Prayer Vigil and Rally in front of the Boy Scouts of America National Headquarters in Irving, TX Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013. The Boy Scouts of America said Wednesday it needed more time before deciding whether to move away from its divisive policy of excluding gays as scouts or adult leaders. (AP Photo/Richard Rodriguez)
