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| NO GAYS in the Boy Scouts was confirmed this past Tuesday (960222) | |||
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NO GAYS in the Boy Scouts was confirmed this past Tuesday |
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Posted by streetcarman1 on Wed Jul 18 11:10:25 2012 Now lets see......America now allows gays and lesbians to join the ranks of the military and to serve proudly, but the Boy Scouts don't want to believe that the same can be said about serving in the Boy Scouts with honor and dignity. Seems that the Boy Scouts haven't advanced over the years.From the NYDAILYNEWS.COM: Boy Scouts: Our 'anti-gay' policy stands No gays will be allowed in the Boy Scouts. 'The vast majority of the parents of youth we serve value their right to address issues of same-sex orientation within their family, with spiritual advisers, and at the appropriate time and in the right setting,' Bob Mazzuca, chief scout executive of Boy Scouts of America, said in a statement. By Christine Roberts / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Tuesday, July 17, 2012, 3:55 PM Chief scout executive Bob Mazzuca in Los Angeles. The Boy Scouts of America has staunchly defended its right to discriminate, excluding gays and atheists from its ranks, and overriding requests from some local units to soften those policies. The Boy Scouts of America announced Tuesday that it will continue to enforce its policy of barring gay scouts and leaders after a confidential two-year review. The organization came to the conclusion after it quietly formed an 11-person committee, comprised of scout executives and adult volunteers, in 2010 to evaluate the 102-year-old policy, Boy Scouts' national spokesman, Deron Smith, told the AP. Smith said that the group unanimously agreed "that this policy is absolutely the best policy for the Boy Scouts." The members of the committee were not named, however a statement released by the organization said that the group "included a diversity of perspectives and opinions." "The review included forthright and candid conversation and extensive research and evaluations - both from within Scouting and from outside of the organization," the statement said. The Boy Scouts announced in June that it was considering a resolution proposed at the organization's annual meeting that demanded an end to the long-standing policy. The organization will no longer continue to review that resolution in light of the committee's decision, according to the AP. Bob Mazzuca, chief scout executive of Boy Scouts of America, said in a statement that he understands "no single policy will accommodate the many diverse views among our membership or society." "The vast majority of the parents of youth we serve value their right to address issues of same-sex orientation within their family, with spiritual advisers, and at the appropriate time and in the right setting," Mazzuca added. MISSOURI EAGLE SCOUT ERIC JONES COMES OUT, LOSES BOY SCOUTS JOB The Scouts boasts nearly 2.7 million members and over 1 million adult volunteers - making it one of the country's largest youth organizations, according to ABC News. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the controversial policy in 2000, ruling 5-4 that the Boy Scouts was exempt from state laws that prohibit anti-gay discrimination. Smith said that the membership policy is not intended to be "a blanket statement or social commentary." "We teach our members to treat those with different opinions with courtesy and respect at all times and to adamantly oppose the mistreatment of others based on any perceived difference, including sexual orientation," Smith told the Daily News in an email. "The organization requests the same courtesy be extended in return." The announcement comes as several groups ramp up campaigns calling for an end to the ban. Jennifer Tyrrel, a lesbian mother from Ohio who was removed from her post as a Scout den leader because of her sexual orientation, is planning to present a petition asking for an end to the ban to Boy Scouts of America's Irving, Texas, headquarters Wednesday. The petition contains over 300,000 signatures and comments. GLAAD President Herndon Graddick said in a statement that it's time for the Boy Scouts to join the Girl Scouts of the USA, the Boys & Girls Club and the U.S. military in "allowing gay Americans to participate." "Until this ban is lifted, the Scouts are putting parents in a situation where they have to explain to their children why some scouts and hard-working scout leaders are being turned away simply because of who they are," Graddick added. LESBIAN COUPLE’S SON SPEECH GOES VIRAL; ZACH WAHLS WRITING BOOK ABOUT BEING RAISED BY TWO LOVING MOTHERS Wahls told the Daily News that he's dismayed by the policy, which he says goes against the group's values of "honesty and trustworthiness." "My hunch is that despite what the BSA might claim, the majority of Eagle Scouts do not support this policy," Wahls said. "A large part of this is coming down to saving face." With Wire News Services |
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