ACLU sues Boy Scouts over city-owned site

The Sacramento Bee ^ | 1:40 a.m. PDT Friday, May 24, 2002 | SAN DIEGO (AP)

[yendu bwam]

They ban any man who is an avowed homosexual (i.e., who has revealed to the troop (through statement OR behavior) that he is homosexual. The Supreme Court has ruled that that is a constitutional policy.

[yendu bwam]

O'Reilly just doesn't see the incongruency of the position, but Kennedy and Kerry sure do.

Kerry and Kennedy: Support homosexuals being in charge of teenage boys in the scouts and teach kids how to engage in homosexual activity in school OR bash the Church on molestations? It's too tough!!! It's too tough!!!

[GSWarrior]

As I understand BS policy, they do not ban homos from Scouting.

You are partially correct. As far as I know, the Scouts do not engage in "witch hunts". Do you really think that the homosexual activists behind the attack on the Scouts really give a darn about the "rights" of what has to be an extremely small percentage of gays who might happen to be involved in scouting. (We're talking something like .00000000000000000001 percent of Scouts who may identify as homosexual.)

No, it's all about ideology with these people. What! You have a rule that says we can't be openly gay. We'll show you! I believe this is their mindset.

[Myrddin]

While the Scouts get a favorable lease on the land in the park, they shoulder the entire expense of maintenance and improvements. They also permit non-scouting organizations to use the facilities. It is a good deal for the taxpayer. The scouts save the taxpayers the maintenance , improvement and operating costs of the park area. The homos are already prowling most of Balboa Park to find willing targets. There is always a group of runaway hispanic teenage males prostitutes marketing themselves along the 6th avenue edge of the park. They scatter like a flock of birds when someone shows up with a video camera to document the behavior. The continuing attack on the Balboa Scout camp is part of the homo agenda to destroy the scouts.

[yendu bwam]

So, let's see. The Catholic Women's League shouldn't be able to use the park, because they only admit...Catholic women - and the Policemen's Benevolent Association should not be allowed to use the park because it only allows...policemen - and the army should never, ever be allowed to step foot in the park because it doesn't admit those who are homosexual, blind, lame and lazy.

[yendu bwam]

There is always a group of runaway hispanic teenage males prostitutes marketing themselves along the 6th avenue edge of the park. They scatter like a flock of birds when someone shows up with a video camera to document the behavior. The continuing attack on the Balboa Scout camp is part of the homo agenda to destroy the scouts.

Sounds like they're trying to destroy the park as well.

[RobbyS]

ACLU is in league with the gay-rights/feminist movement. Ironicallly they are out to "get" the Scous for a policy that aims to prevent the sort of thing that has happened in the Catholic Church. ACLU will continue to push such suits in order to keep public attention away from the whole question of the morality of homosexuality.

[agrace]

It is truly amazing that the left bashes the Catholic church for placing homosexual "chicken hawks" in places of responsibilty to youths, and at the same time decries the BSA for not allowing the same thing.

That is a fine, fine point.

[RonF]

Good idea. Here's another suggestion. Deliver the check to the Council office yourself. Then, while you're there, ask to see the District Executive for the area where you live, or where your kid's school is. Ask him or her for a listing of Cub Scout Packs, Boy Scout Troops, Sea Scout Ships, or Venture Crews in your area. They call up the unit leader and ask if he or she could use some help.

Let the grass and weeds grow in your lawn for an extra weekend. Go out on a campout. Show some kids how to cook a meal, clean up after, identify some bugs, trees, or flowers. Show them how to catch a fish, and cook them up. Teach them how to tell deer shit from rabbit shit, or a fox track from a raccoon track. Or, go into the Scout store, look through the rack of Merit Badge booklets, and register as a Merit Badge counselor. Teach a few kids what Citizenship in the Community or Nation really means, or how to tie 15 different knots, or identify 20 different constellations in the sky.

Or, go out to the Scout camp work weekend that's very likely going on this weekend or next weekend and help them set up camp. Help run new electrical service in the dining hall, or clear some downed trees in a campsite, or set up new sitting logs in the Chapel.

Sure, the Scouts need money. But we need people, too.

[Mfkmmof4]

But we tear down the Catholic church because they do allow it...does anyone see the problem here?

[RAT Patrol]

This is blatant religious discrimination.

[Bommer]

Since the Supreme Court sided with the scouts right to bar homos from being scout leaders, why doesn't the Scouts sue the ACLU for infringing on their rights?

[RAT Patrol]

ROTFL! That is the best response I've read in a long time.

[pepsionice]

I propose a radical move, which I think all Free Republic readers might want to join in on. Let's creat a new organization called The Scout Brotherhood. Its for those adults who grow up within the organization and understand the threat upon it today. All of these left-wingers, ACLU types and NOW members....are simply aiming for their target...kinda like a hunter in a large park with a rifle and they know they might get a couple of good shots off at a small target and wing it....and bring it down...with shot after shot. The Scout Brotherhood would would kinda act like a pack of Grizzilies within the park....while the hunter is trying to take aim....we are trailing their backside. We sniff for a scent and give chase. Push the hunter up a tree...make the ACLU explain its finances...make it explain its tax free status....make its local members identify themselves in the local area....make sure their names are in print each week...attack any position that threatens the scouts. At some point, the ACLU will begin to worry more about the Brotherhood than the scouts....we will actually threaten their collection plate and their tax free status....and using local religious organizations, we can make the deep donation pockets explain why they pick on kids. The ACLU is a hunter in a open field with plenty of chances to shoot their prey....a pack of grizzley bears can keep a hunter off-guard. They must focus on us, which dilutes their intentions.

[yendu bwam]

You've got my support.

[RonF]

The BSA knows full well that there are now, have been, and will be homosexuals in Scouting (male and female, likely). What it bans are "avowed homosexuals". There is no hard and fast definition of what "avowed" means in this context coming out of National, so local Councils apply their own definition. By the way, this is not uncommon. While National issues distinct policies on many issues (usually health, safety, and advancement), many other issues are open to some interpretation by local Councils. This is by design.

So you are going to see different interpretations of "avowed" by different Councils. No Council is going to start investigating all leaders to try to ascertain who's gay and who isn't. All Councils would bounce a leader who started extolling homosexuality during unit meetings or campouts. The area in between is going to vary from Council to Council, though. You can bet that the Greater New York Councils will interpret it differently than Great Salt Lake Council.

A good example would be if someone in the community called the local Council's Scout Executive and said, "Scoutmaster Joe Blow of Troop x is gay!". Some Councils will jump on this, some will be asking "how do you know" and will or won't take action depending on whether the information is public or private, or whether some kind of act occurred in a Scouting or non-Scouting context, and some will blow it off, unless the caller said "He deep kissed his boyfriend before they went into their tent together at the last campout."

[yendu bwam]

No, it's all about ideology with these people. What! You have a rule that says we can't be openly gay. We'll show you! I believe this is their mindset.

I'll tell you, I used to be a live-and-let live type with regard to homosexuals. That is, until our Boy Scout troop came under attack in our town, our public school has started teaching about how to engage in homosexual sex in our high school, and we discovered that the last pastor of our Catholic Church was a homosexual teenage boy rapist. When I'm told that my sons have to go camping with homosexual men (who DO have strong sexual attraction to teenage boys) and put under their authority in close situations, then a BIG LINE has been crossed. I'm ready to fight now.

[RonF]

The BSA publishes something called A Guide to Safe Scouting. It gives guidelines and policies on how to safely run a Scouting program. The page linked allows you to select looking at it in a printable or web-based format. Right in the beginning are the Youth Protection and Two-Deep Leadership policies, leadership requirements, what to do if you suspect child abuse, etc., if you're interested.

And, like it says in there, remember:

Being a leader in the BSA is a privilege, not a right.