Philadelphia, The Boy Scouts and Gays
The Associated Press is reporting that the Philadelphia Boy Scout council, “The Cradle of Liberty”, would be evicted or forced to pay a “fair” rent price unless they change their policy on gays. The council has used a half acre owned by the Philadelphia Art Museum as their headquarters since 1928. The city council in 1928 voted to allow the Boy Scouts to use the property rent-free “in perpetuity” or forever. The Boy Scouts of America’s policy on gays, the same that the Philadelphia faction follows as well, was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2000. The policy forbids gays from being leaders.
I grew up as a member of the Cub Scouts and eventually the Boy Scouts as a part of Troop 477 in the Philadelphia council. I understand that their policy on gays is archaic but this is also an organization that helps thousands of kids a year so I am not sure how I feel about the city tossing them on their ass. I smell a rather large and expensive battle brewing here. Thoughts?
Source: Yahoo! News
I wonder how legally binding that original commitment is. I’ve also got to wonder whether the motivation for the reversal isn’t more financial than ethical.
well how would you feel if they discriminated against jews?
would you still not be sure how to feel?
how about blacks?
the lgbt community doesnt get a whole lot of victories so lets at least not wonder how we feel about this….it IS possible to do lots of good for youth and everyone else and not be narrow minded assholes.
Homosexuality is genetic gender discrimination. It separates men and women into same-sex segregated pairs. “Separate is not Equal!”
Homosexuality does not allow ANY gender diversity or equality in the name of ‘love’.
Conversely, one man one woman is uniquely inclusive gender diversity orientation!
I though everyone was supposed to be inclusive and diversity oriented?!
The boy Scouts should be given honor for standing up for women. Instead, the Mayor of Philadelphia wants homosexual leadership role models forced upon the Boy scouts that would promote to boys that genetic boy only orientation is to be celebrated to the exclusion of women in the name of ‘love’.
Jesus required gender diversity and equality in marriage in Matthew 19. The Boy Scouts should be able to promote this Christian and constitutionally sound equality principle if they want to.
Anna,
Homosexuality is not a race or religion or gender. In fact, it is a gender orientation / preference that is gender-exclusive!
You can’t get civil rights for a racially-exclusive racial preference!
You can’t get civil rights for a gender-exclusive sexual preference!
The same animals that ‘naturally’ exhibit homosexuality also exhibit racism. Maybe both of these are genetic orientations. Does that make these natural and normal for humans?
Doesn’t anybody think any more?
Anna,
Unchangeable, genetic, single-sex orientation is as “mono-chromatic” and narrow-minded as you can get.
You have GOT to be kidding me…
Now gays are being “gender-exclusive”?? This is just the latest spin because most people in America think adults should get to pick who they marry. (I’m sure the “but people will want to marry their dog” garbage will surface now – that hasn’t flown either, people.)
Since when are gays any threat to same sex unions or relationships?? If gay people wanted everyone to be gay, maybe you’d have a point. Otherwise you are looking like total fools with your “separate is not equal” straw man. Honestly, this whole argument sounds like something a bunch of creative (I do give them that) far-right Bible-banger types concocted and have flung (like poo) around the Internets…
Nice try, but this one really makes you guys look ridiculous.
Keep in mind that the Boy Scouts also discriminate on the basis of religion – they don’t allow atheists. The city should not be subsidising religious discrimination. As for the lease being “in perpetuity”, the lease also states that the city can end the lease by giving the Boy Scouts one year’s notice.