The recent controversy surrounding the Boy Scouts of America and its anti-gay policies is out-of-hand. Since the 1980s, various groups and individuals have sued the Boy Scouts of America for its strict policies preventing homosexual persons to serve in the organization. To date each of these lawsuits have failed, resulting in numerous statements from the Boy Scouts articulating its position on the issue and why it is such.
Last Saturday Madonna appeared at the Annual GLAAD Media Awards show wearing a Boy Scout uniform, offering her opinion on the matter; “I think they should change their stupid rules.” Is this really an issue to which she has the right to speak? And should we listen?
After spending a combined 12 years in the organization’s Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs and earning the rank of Eagle Scout, I have my own thoughts on the matter. The reality is that the BSA is a voluntarily joined and privately operated organization. That means that it reserves the right to choose what conduct is and is not acceptable as well as the right to refuse the membership of any person.
I believe in the right of organizations to structure admission policies that safeguard its members and protect an established set of commonly agreed upon moral, ethical and social codes. I am tired of this political debate being forced upon private groups. The Boy Scouts decision to prevent openly homosexual individuals from joining is no different from an organization on campus granting membership contingent upon grade point average. Let it go.
Not so many years ago news media was exploiting cases of child molestation in the Boy Scouts. Everyone was up in arms. I remember because I often hid the fact that I was a Boy Scout to avoid gay jokes and other scrutiny. Media, supporters and members demanded that something be done; and now, 10 years later, society demands that the Boy Scouts create an environment in which homosexual relationships are not only acceptable, but likely to kindle. I am afraid that if this ‘ban’ is lifted the Boy Scouts, a wholesome boys program by design, may be entirely at risk.
The Boy Scouts should protect its moral set of standards by maintaining its current admission policies. Every scout must live by the Scout Oath and Law; respectively they pledge to keep “morally straight” as well as “clean.” To allow homosexuals to join the Boy Scouts not only violates principles that the organization was founded upon, but would require boys to pledge an oath and law that they cannot keep. Not only would it be pointless for them, but would degrade the value of the title Boy Scout for others.
The Boy Scouts is not the place to push the homosexual agenda. There must be an end to this debacle. The Boy Scouts must decide once again at its meeting in May whether to uphold its policies. But even if it does, and it rolls out a statement like all the other times, I don’t think we will have found the end.
