On February 1, 2010, 26 Members of Congress urged the Boy Scouts of America to end its discriminatory policy of not accepting gays and lesbians in a letter sent to the Chief Scout Executive of the organization.
The correspondence, initiated by U.S. Representatives Gary Ackerman (D-NY) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), was sent in response to the Boy Scouts’ rejection of Cate and Elizabeth Wirth, a couple in Vermont who were told they could not volunteer for their 10 year old son’s Cub Scout pack after it was revealed that the women are lesbians. In explaining the Boy Scouts’ national policy of excluding gays and lesbians as volunteers, their district director suggested that the Wirths would “push their lifestyle on the boys.”
“Regrettably, the current, discriminatory policy of the Boy Scouts of America has denied opportunities for young scouts, community-oriented citizens, and loving parents,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter to Robert Mazzuca, the Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America. “As you celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America, it is long past time that the Boy Scouts finally provide the opportunity for all Scouts, Leaders, and volunteers, to share in the joys of Scouting, regardless of sexual orientation.”
Ackerman, a proud Eagle Scout, continues to salute the tireless contributions of Scouts from throughout the nation but contends that the discriminatory policy of the organization must change.
“I’ll always be a proud Eagle Scout, but this discriminatory policy must end” said Ackerman. “Rejecting a Cub Scout’s mothers from volunteering just because of their sexual orientation doesn’t comply with the Scout law I recited at Scout meetings.”
“Scouting is a proud and honorable tradition in this country, but discrimination is not,” said Congresswoman Baldwin, Co-Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus. “Children with same sex parents deserve the same opportunities to have their parents involved in their scouting experience as their classmates do and I urge the Boy Scouts of America to end this discriminatory policy,” Baldwin said.
The letter was signed by a total of 26 Members of Congress. The full text of the letter and the signatories are below.
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February 1, 2010
Mr. Robert Mazzuca
Chief Scout Executive
Boy Scouts of America
National Office
1329 West Walnut Hill Lane
Irving, TX 75038
Dear Mr. Mazzuca:
We write in response to the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) recent rejection of Cate and Elizabeth Wirth, two mothers of a Scout, who applied to serve as parent volunteers. We call on the Boy Scouts to end its policy of discrimination and exclusion based solely on sexual orientation.
Regrettably, the current, discriminatory policy of the Boy Scouts of America has denied opportunities for young scouts, dedicated community-oriented citizens, and loving parents. Most recently, as reported on December 30, 2009, Cate and Elizabeth Wirth, both legal mothers of their 10 year old son, Dylan, were turned down as volunteer Cub Scout leaders after the local Boy Scouts District Director cited the national policy of the BSA regarding lesbian and gay volunteers, and suggested that the Wirths would “push their lifestyle on the boys.” We would think the Boy Scouts would encourage all parents to take an active involvement in their children’s Scouting life. Cate and Elizabeth had volunteered before without problem, such that the Boy Scouts happily accepted their service again until learning of their sexual orientation.
For a century, the Boy Scouts have united communities, instilled the value of public service, and encouraged civic participation among America’s youth. Congress has repeatedly recognized the importance of the Boy Scouts in our communities with numerous honors, including a Congressional charter and, most recently, a resolution expressing support for February 8, 2010 as “Boy Scouts of America Day”. As you celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America, it is long past time that the Boy Scouts finally provide the opportunity for all Scouts, Leaders, and volunteers, to share in the joys of Scouting, regardless of sexual orientation.
This policy of discrimination and exclusion is contrary to the Boy Scouts own stated values. According to Scout law, “A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.” We fail to see how it is friendly, courteous, or kind to bar loving parents from volunteering for their child’s Cub Scout pack just because of who they love. Furthermore, it is difficult to imagine how singling out the parents of one Scout for exclusion is an example of Scout loyalty.
As deeply troubling as the exclusionary policy is, the message that the policy sends is perhaps most damaging. The Boy Scouts are teaching America’s youth at impressionable ages that lesbians and gays are to be excluded because they are different, and not “morally straight” as per the Boy Scouts’ official stated position.
Furthermore, it is particularly disappointing that an organization that prides itself on inclusion and diversity remains committed to a policy that is anything but. Again, according to the Scout handbook, a Scout should “look beyond the differences that might separate you from others and accept them for who they are.”
We urge you to honor the Boy Scouts’ own stated values and reverse this exclusionary and discriminatory policy by providing the opportunity for Cate and Elizabeth Wirth and all other interested Scouts, Leaders, and volunteers to participate, regardless of sexual orientation.
Sincerely,
________________________
GARY L. ACKERMAN
Member of Congress
_________________________
TAMMY BALDWIN
Member of Congress
_________________________
RAÚL M. GRIJALVA
Member of Congress
_________________________
JAMES P. MCGOVERN
Member of Congress
_________________________
FORTNEY PETE STARK
Member of Congress
_________________________
HENRY C. JOHNSON, JR.
Member of Congress
_________________________
LYNN C. WOOLSEY
Member of Congress
_________________________
PETER WELCH
Member of Congress
_________________________
DENNIS J. KUCINICH
Member of Congress
_________________________
LUIS V. GUTIERREZ
Member of Congress
_________________________
LINDA T. SÁNCHEZ
Member of Congress
_________________________
BARBARA LEE
Member of Congress
_________________________
JAMES P. MORAN
Member of Congress
_________________________
CHELLIE PINGREE
Member of Congress
_________________________
JARED POLIS
Member of Congress
_________________________
BARNEY FRANK
Member of Congress
_________________________
YVETTE D. CLARKE
Member of Congress
_________________________
BILL DELAHUNT
Member of Congress
_________________________
KEITH ELLISON
Member of Congress
_________________________
JERROLD NADLER
Member of Congress
_________________________
EARL BLUMENAUER
Member of Congress
_________________________
BRAD SHERMAN
Member of Congress
_________________________
BOB FILNER
Member of Congress
_________________________
JANICE SCHAKOWSKY
Member of Congress
_________________________
HOWARD L. BERMAN
Member of Congress
_________________________
JACKIE SPEIER
Member of Congress
February 6th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Maybe members of Congress should be more worried about correctly what’s wrong with America instead of trying to destroy one of those things that produces great Americans! With the new administration our government has swung believe too far left and conservative Americans need to rapidly overcome the liberals who are out to destroy America.
February 6th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
Sorry but the BSA is a conservative organization. Liberals have tried to sue the organization for many years because we have morals and values. It drives them insane that they can’t force our organization to submit to their immoral ways of removing God from everything possible and accepting gays. They can keep their PC BS and “tolerance” to everything that they have trashed this country with already. As we teach morals and values and how to take care of yourself, they brainwash people into depending on the government for everything coming and going, thus enslaving each generation more and more as government grows bigger. If the BSA doesn’t continue to respect the traditions of the organization, they will lose many of the people who have made it the greatest traditional organization in history, just as the liberals would like. If you don’t like everything I just said, you must be a liberal.
February 7th, 2010 at 11:29 am
“I’ll always be a proud Eagle Scout, but this discriminatory policy must end” said Ackerman. “Rejecting a Cub Scout’s mothers from volunteering just because of their sexual orientation doesn’t comply with the Scout law I recited at Scout meetings.”
Wrong, Mr. Ackerman! TO KEEP MYSELF MORALLY STRAIGHT. It’s part of the Scout Oath you used to recite. Maybe you need to brush up on it.
February 7th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Sounds like Ackerman was simply “reciting” the Scout law, rather than taking it to heart. Seems about the same with liberals and the Constitution. The Scouts have helped raise leader for this nation BECAUSE the hold to their standards and morals. Don’t let the libs take that away.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
@Todd Osborne: If you think this issue is as simply as conservative vs. liberal — That’s not the case, it’s far more complex.
February 7th, 2010 at 9:33 pm
The idea is to saturate society via hollywood, education, government that homosexuality is “normal” and that if we see it everywhere then it must be okay. If you are against this policy then you are labeled as a confused, bigotted homophobe conservative. I would hope that BSA does not succumb to this liberal pressure. I for one do not see the need to announce your sexual orientation to kids. It serves no purpose.
February 8th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Only 26 members signed? That’s less than .05% of Congress, but yet they are trying to dictate to an organization that numbers in the millions? I can see if 25% of Congress signed, then National would consider the motion, but 26? Give me a break. If the mothers are so concerned, I hate to say this, maybe Indian Guides would be a better fit.
February 8th, 2010 at 11:44 am
As a 18 year veteran scout leader, I fully support and understand the need form BSA to be inclusive. That said, scouting is not about sexual orientation and the program has no need to add a program to educated educate scouts on the subject of sexual orientation. Having served proudly with helpful and respectful parents who happened to Gay, has shown me that it is more about supporting the many scouting values of community and leadership development and yes good old fashioned outdoor fun, than including a a referendum on alternative lifestyles. The reality is that individual units have a governing structure that allows for local community cultural variances. I am quite confident that a BSA policy to allow all to be included providing those who choose to join do so without a destructive agenda to advance non core scouting principles.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
McOrin – minor math error with order of magnitude. Try 5.9%, not 0.05%.
February 8th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
I personally think the BSA would be well served by being more inclusive. Or sister organization (the GSA) changed its oaths and allows people of all creeds (or none) and all sexual orientations to participate fully in their programs. There is nothing inherent in scouting that makes it a “conservative” instituion other than our current leadership. Morals do not derive from a sexual orientation. I personally have know the most moral homosexuals and many “straight” people who have only met morales in name alone.
Baden-Powell was a firm believer that every boy had a right to Scouting and I think that this fine organization should spread its arms and take everyone into the fold.
YIS
Andy Mullaly
February 9th, 2010 at 5:25 am
The comments I am reading, (ie: BSA is a conservative organization. Liberals are out to destroy America), seem to suggest that there is no place in scouting for any leader who is not a member of the GOP. BTW, those comments certainly do NOT speak for me. I have dedicated my time and money to scouting for the past ten years. Looking at scouting from the inside, what I mostly see is self-rightous hypocrosy. We are WAY too exclusive. How many of you hypocrits are divorced or living with your mate out of wedlock, (also immoral). How many of you smoke, drink, lie, cheat, GOSSIP or steal? Let he who is without guilt cast the next stone…
February 10th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
It’s amazing……you can have groups dedicated to VERY specific people which isolate a very large range of individuals BUT you have a group like the BSA which says no to the gay / lesbian community and all of a sudden the Scouts are the ones who are hypocrites!! It doesn’t matter if an organization comes along that invites everyone to attend……SOMEONE will find SOMETHING wrong with either the date, time or place of the meetings. SOMETHING will offend someone for no reason whatsoever. This country used to be strong and have strong men and women……Now…..it’s just a bunch of whiners who want their way…..and only their way…..and they can have a lobbyist who will help them pave the way in Washington. Guess they wont’ be happy until all traditions and “archaic” beliefs are gone….. by then we’ll all be generic gender neutral entities with no thoughts of our own other than what “they” tell us to believe.
February 11th, 2010 at 10:52 am
I am truly disappointed by the knee-jerk reactions to this issue on both sides. Gay parents are free to volunteer for their child’s unit, but they cannot serve as “registered adult leaders,” meaning they cannot be den leaders, cub/scoutmasters, unit committee members, etc. However, I know several gay people who serve in other volunteer capacities such as pinewood derby committee, blue & gold committee, hosting den/patrol meetings, etc.
It really shouldn’t surprise anyone that the BSA doesn’t desire to see gays and lesbians held up before our impressionable young boys and adolescents as role models to be emulated – a policy I happen to agree with and I’m not a hater.
The boys in my troop are constantly reminded to respect everyone because they are created by the same God that created them. However, respect and tolerance are not synonymous with acquiesence. I can respect the fact that gays and lesbians feel an attraction they cannot control, and which they would probably gladly live without if they could, and I can treat them with dignity in my interactions with them. But it does not follow that they *must* or *should* be allowed to serve as role models for our youth. Being a role model is *exactly* what being a BSA adult leader is all about. To be sure, there are plenty of things about me and about other scouting leaders that I don’t want the youth in my charge to emulate. But they all tend to be things not easily seen or in the background of my personality. It’s not that I want the boys in my unit to emulate me in whom they choose to date or marry, but I defintely do not think it’s a good idea to bring any more sexual confusion to an already very confusing time in a young man’s life.
February 13th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
I say no, no, no! Keep the Boyscouts clean and the homosexuals out. Now, in my view we should write down the name of these Congressmen and vote them out because they do not have the best intrest of the country at heart.
February 14th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
I’ve got a silly idea about the whole “discrimination” bit, join another organization. Have your child at the YMCA if it is so very important for you to instill a homosexual lifestyle on children.
And Andy, GSA has turned to be all things to all girls – what are they other than cookie merchants? You don’t see them anywhere because they’ve swung so far left trying to be all things to all people that there’s hardly a glimmer of a program. I don’t know what scouts was like when you were a scout, but it really isn’t the place for promoting homosexuality as being “morally straight”. I know there are people out there who are “morally straight” if you only ignore their one addiction to crack, murder, theft, etc.
February 16th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
The key question is will the Charter Organziations of units support the BSA if they did allow homosexuals to be registered leaders. There are several Churches that would probably not support the BSA if they adopted this policy change. By the organizations dropping their units, the BSA as a program would be severly crippled.
Homosexuals can be involved in the BSA divisions of Exploring and Learning For Life. These divisions were made more inclusive due to many of the Charter Organizations being public entities (ie: police and fire departments, etc) which by law have to be inclusive.
February 18th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
I also agree with BSA’s current policy concerning gay/lesbian. These congressmen and women who voted against the BSA, DO NOT really care about having good role models. All they want is to keep their government positions.
February 22nd, 2010 at 11:30 pm
Mr Utah Scouter
Part of morally straight, which never meant sexually straight, is to have the integrity to put one’s name behind one’s opinion. One’s world view is congruent with one’s behavior and opinions.
In my experience as a 50-year Eagle and 50-year Scout Veteran, I found it better not to use the shortcuts of stereotypes and rules, written or unwritten, to judge the suitability a person for a job/role model.
I only hope the BSA will reevaluate using the shortcut of policy to get around the real work of discernment and coach/counseling required to support volunteer leaders.
February 26th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Boy Scouts of America is a private organization that does not need to cow-tow to the liberal members of congress just because they have an axe to grind. These members of congress should have better sense! Boy Scouts of America is a grand organization that teach young men how to be contributing members of society in obeying the laws of God and country! What’s wrong with that? Congressmen Akerman should be ashamed. He is not upholding his Duty to God and Country as an Eagle Scout!
February 27th, 2010 at 6:37 am
http://gayrights.change.org/actions/view/tell_the_boy_scouts_dont_exclude_gay_people
I signed this petition and included my Cub Scout affiliation.
Thank you to anyone who considers doing the same!
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:53 am
Do you want your boy to go camping with a gay Scoutmaster or Cubmaster?