Boy Scouts Lifts Ban on Gay Scout Leaders

[The Other Castro]

The Boy Scouts of America has voted to lift the ban on openly gay scout leaders.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/07/26/the-boy-scouts-are-slated-to-lift-ban-on-openly-gay-adult-leaders/

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Good news.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Cool. As an Eagle Scout and current volunteer, I'm glad the Boy Scouts changed their policy and did so from within.

[NerdyBohemian]

Nice. I'm an Eagle Scout and love the BSA but I cannot support them (because of the Scout Law) as long as they continue to discriminate. I'm glad they took this step but it's time to lift the ban on agnostic and atheists as well.

[Classic Conservative]

God, wonder if my church will still charter my troop. Hope so???

[RINO Tom]

God, wonder if my church will still charter my troop. Hope so???
Really if there not pervs I don't really care.

"As long as they're not pervs, straight people can be Scout leaders."

[Green Line]

Long overdue

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

God, wonder if my church will still charter my troop. Hope so???

The policy the BSA adopted allows for religious groups chartering troops to consider whether the adult leadership meets their own religious standards. They pretty much had to if they were going to keep some of the troops sponsored by conservative churches.

[Classic Conservative]

God, wonder if my church will still charter my troop. Hope so???

The policy the BSA adopted allows for religious groups chartering troops to consider whether the adult leadership meets their own religious standards. They pretty much had to if they were going to keep some of the troops sponsored by conservative churches.

Ok, my troops sponsored by my personal church the Catholic Church, so we will be safe now. Thank God.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

God, wonder if my church will still charter my troop. Hope so???

The policy the BSA adopted allows for religious groups chartering troops to consider whether the adult leadership meets their own religious standards. They pretty much had to if they were going to keep some of the troops sponsored by conservative churches.

Ok, my troops sponsored by my personal church the Catholic Church, so we will be safe now. Thank God.

The Catholic Church's Scouting Committee supports the policy that was adopted.   

This is very good news, though I wish it had not been made under the cloud of litigation.  Still I am hopeful that troops will be welcoming, as many are already in spite of the official policy.

[7,052,770]

God, wonder if my church will still charter my troop. Hope so???

Any church that would stop sponsoring the Boy Scouts because other troops can officially have gay leaders (and in actuality have had them for decades) doesn't need to be sponsoring the Scouts anyway.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Can't believe it took them so long.

[Mr. Morden]

Don't tell Rick Perry: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=216197.0

[Zioneer]

Sadly, my own faith (the LDS Church, of course), which has a massive amount of influence on the BSA, isn't exactly happy about this, even with the religious exemption. They might even leave, which is a problem for the BSA, since the LDS Church is the biggest funder, troop sponsor, and has traditionally had a close relationship with the Scouts; we even have Scoutmaster as an approved church appointment.

What frustrates me is that the lifting of the ban is almost exactly like the LDS Church-supported anti-discrimination/religious liberty law that passed in Utah. If it works for Utah, why not the Scouts?

[Torie]

Sadly, my own faith (the LDS Church, of course), which has a massive amount of influence on the BSA, isn't exactly happy about this, even with the religious exemption. They might even leave, which is a problem for the BSA, since the LDS Church is the biggest funder, troop sponsor, and has traditionally had a close relationship with the Scouts; we even have Scoutmaster as an approved church appointment.

What frustrates me is that the lifting of the ban is almost exactly like the LDS Church-supported anti-discrimination/religious liberty law that passed in Utah. If it works for Utah, why not the Scouts?

Is there any possibility that somehow LDS kids could be in a troop that has a gay scout leader? What I am getting at, is if the LDS remains involved, is it possible that if someone applied to be scout leader of an LDS sponsored troop, the LDS would have to consider that candidate? Is the LDS concerned about gay scout leaders of non LDS troops because LDS kids would be exposed to the gay scout leaders at Scout jamboree events or whatever, where a lot of troops meet up?

Absent the concerns above, I don't see why the LDS would consider severing its sponsorship of Scout activities, or even take a position on the matter.

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

As an Eagle Scout, I am pleased to hear this! However, we still need to have a conversation about the restrictions on the non-religious and about dropping the B from BSA.

[Classic Conservative]

As an Eagle Scout, I am pleased to hear this! However, we still need to have a conversation about the restrictions on the non-religious and about dropping the B from BSA.

If they dropped the B I'm out.

[pbrower2a]

The BSA can still insist upon a rigidly-enforced  "no sex, please" policy in Scouting activities. It has always been contrary to Scouting policies to allow a straight male to participate in sex with a straight female. Scouting is not about sex. Many other things, but not sex.

Once again, a conservative organization with a firm base in tradition (see also the LDS Church)  can better deal with such an innovation as same-sex marriage than can a group always redefining itself as trends change.

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

As an Eagle Scout, I am pleased to hear this! However, we still need to have a conversation about the restrictions on the non-religious and about dropping the B from BSA.

If they dropped the B I'm out.

Separating based on gender is an antiquated concept and one that is being abandoned internationally. Two separate scouting organizations is unnecessary, inefficient, and the BSA is all too often dragging its feel into the ground whereas the GSA is much more inline with social values and embracing change. There is not one good reason to keep the organizations separated.

If you were to leave because the resources of the BSA were to no longer be an all boy's club, the organization would be a lot better off without you.  

[Classic Conservative]

As an Eagle Scout, I am pleased to hear this! However, we still need to have a conversation about the restrictions on the non-religious and about dropping the B from BSA.

If they dropped the B I'm out.

Separating based on gender is an antiquated concept and one that is being abandoned internationally. Two separate scouting organizations is unnecessary, inefficient, and the BSA is all too often dragging its feel into the ground whereas the GSA is much more inline with social values and embracing change. There is not one good reason to keep the organizations separated.

If you were to leave because the resources of the BSA were to no longer be an all boy's club, the organization would be a lot better off without you.  

The Boy Scouts have Venturing already, with the Girl Scouts there numbers have actually been going down since they've aligned with Planned Parenthood and Common Core. The scouts aren't here for sex talk and wear protection every meeting its about adventure and team building to say that Girl Scouts is better socially is BS. That's just my 2 cents.

[Mr. Smith]

Sadly, my own faith (the LDS Church, of course), which has a massive amount of influence on the BSA, isn't exactly happy about this, even with the religious exemption. They might even leave, which is a problem for the BSA, since the LDS Church is the biggest funder, troop sponsor, and has traditionally had a close relationship with the Scouts; we even have Scoutmaster as an approved church appointment.

What frustrates me is that the lifting of the ban is almost exactly like the LDS Church-supported anti-discrimination/religious liberty law that passed in Utah. If it works for Utah, why not the Scouts?

Is there any possibility that somehow LDS kids could be in a troop that has a gay scout leader? What I am getting at, is if the LDS remains involved, is it possible that if someone applied to be scout leader of an LDS sponsored troop, the LDS would have to consider that candidate? Is the LDS concerned about gay scout leaders of non LDS troops because LDS kids would be exposed to the gay scout leaders at Scout jamboree events or whatever, where a lot of troops meet up?

Absent the concerns above, I don't see why the LDS would consider severing its sponsorship of Scout activities, or even take a position on the matter.

Sure there can be, it's just gonna have to be under a DADT sorta situation.

And honestly that wouldn't surprise me at all if that was why.

However, there's also the fact that this whole thing happened behind their back, or at least, that's how they see it.

[7,052,770]

As an Eagle Scout, I am pleased to hear this! However, we still need to have a conversation about the restrictions on the non-religious and about dropping the B from BSA.

Obviously we should drop the rarely-enforced ban on atheists (what teenager has a coherent, well-developed set of religious views anyway?), but I see no reason to open it up to people who identify as female. Transboys are fine (and I suspect there's probably already some in it anyway, in trans-positive troops).

Or, maybe the Girl Scouts could be folded into the Boy Scout organization, but with gender-specific troops. The last thing my old troop needed on our camping trips was girls with us.

[Classic Conservative]

The last thing my old troop needed on our camping trips was girls with us.

That's my main concern.

[Zioneer]

Sadly, my own faith (the LDS Church, of course), which has a massive amount of influence on the BSA, isn't exactly happy about this, even with the religious exemption. They might even leave, which is a problem for the BSA, since the LDS Church is the biggest funder, troop sponsor, and has traditionally had a close relationship with the Scouts; we even have Scoutmaster as an approved church appointment.

What frustrates me is that the lifting of the ban is almost exactly like the LDS Church-supported anti-discrimination/religious liberty law that passed in Utah. If it works for Utah, why not the Scouts?

Is there any possibility that somehow LDS kids could be in a troop that has a gay scout leader? What I am getting at, is if the LDS remains involved, is it possible that if someone applied to be scout leader of an LDS sponsored troop, the LDS would have to consider that candidate? Is the LDS concerned about gay scout leaders of non LDS troops because LDS kids would be exposed to the gay scout leaders at Scout jamboree events or whatever, where a lot of troops meet up?

Absent the concerns above, I don't see why the LDS would consider severing its sponsorship of Scout activities, or even take a position on the matter.

Sure there can be, it's just gonna have to be under a DADT sorta situation.

And honestly that wouldn't surprise me at all if that was why.

However, there's also the fact that this whole thing happened behind their back, or at least, that's how they see it.

The odd thing is that I've been following the news on this, and the "BSA will allow gay leaders" was basically being telegraphed months ahead of it actually happening. It wasn't a surprise at all. The head of the BSA even said (paraphrasing) "yeah we're going to do this soon". I don't get how the blindsided argument works.

As for the rest of your post, yeah, it's basically a "Don't Ask Don't Tell" situation, though I imagine that the Church in particular tries to have most Scout leader be married ones (to a woman, of course), to lessen the possibility of a secretly gay Scout leader.

[Mr. Reactionary]

The last thing my old troop needed on our camping trips was girls with us.

That's my main concern.