Monica Cole Has The Boy Scouts Sadz

"As 1MM predicted, the Boy Scouts of America has dropped its ban on homosexual adult leaders. This means men who are attracted to males are now welcome on campouts in intimate proximity to boys. Last week, the BSA's National Executive Board approved the new policy on a 45-12 vote. This follows a vote just two years ago to allow homosexual boys to join the ranks. The BSA has made its decision; now make yours by taking these immediate actions: 1. If you are in scouting, or have a son or grandson in scouting, show your convictions by resigning from the organization. Your dropped membership will send a strong message that your values are steadfast, faithful and unchangeable. 2. If your church charters a scouting unit, contact the pastor and scouting committee members. Urge the church to drop the charter based on the truth of God's word and Christian values. 3. Find an alternative to the BSA. 1MM strongly recommends the Christian-based Trail Life USA program." - Monica Cole, head of One Million Moms, via email.

Matt Baume On The Boy Scouts

Mormons Threaten To Leave Boy Scouts

Last night the Mormon Church issued a press release in which they threaten to end their relationship with the Boy Scouts over the end of the ban on openly gay leaders.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is deeply troubled by today’s vote by the Boy Scouts of America National Executive Board. In spite of a request to delay the vote, it was scheduled at a time in July when members of the Church’s governing councils are out of their offices and do not meet. When the leadership of the Church resumes its regular schedule of meetings in August, the century-long association with Scouting will need to be examined. The Church has always welcomed all boys to its Scouting units regardless of sexual orientation. However, the admission of openly gay leaders is inconsistent with the doctrines of the Church and what have traditionally been the values of the Boy Scouts of America. As a global organization with members in 170 countries, the Church has long been evaluating the limitations that fully one-half of its youth face where Scouting is not available. Those worldwide needs combined with this vote by the BSA National Executive Board will be carefully reviewed by the leaders of the Church in the weeks ahead.

The Mormon Church is the nation's largest sponsor of the Boy Scouts with over 30,000 LDS chapters comprising about 15% of total membership.

Boy Scouts Formally Lift Gay Leaders Ban

Reuters reports:

The Boy Scouts of America on Monday ended the group's outright ban on openly gay adult leaders and employees, rolling back a policy that has deeply divided the membership of the 105-year-old Texas-based organization. The new policy, which takes effect immediately, comes three years after the organization removed its prohibition on gay youth but will still allow local Boy Scout units chartered by religious organizations to make their own choices regarding gay adult leaders. The Boy Scouts said the latest resolution, unanimously adopted by the organization's executive committee on July 13, gained final approval by the National Executive Board, with 79 percent of board members present voting to support it.

The Human Rights Campaigns applauds, albeit weakly:

The new policy, which bars discrimination based on the sexual orientation of organization employees, still allows church-organized local units to consider an individual's sexual orientation when deciding who can volunteer and lead Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, and Venturing crews. HRC called on the organization to adopt a policy of full LGBT inclusion for both employees and volunteers. "Today's vote by the Boy Scouts of America to allow gay, lesbian and bisexual adults to work and volunteer is a welcome step toward erasing a stain on this important organization," said HRC President Chad Griffin. "But including an exemption for troops sponsored by religious organizations undermines and diminishes the historic nature of today's decision. Discrimination should have no place in the Boy Scouts, period."

Lambda Legal reacts similarly:

Today’s vote by the National Executive Committee to end the organization’s decades-long policy of excluding openly gay and bisexual adults from membership in Scouting marks yet another milestone in the march toward LGBT equality in our nation. To be sure, the change will not free the BSA of sexual orientation discrimination altogether, however, as religious organizations that charter some 70 percent of local BSA units will still be permitted to discriminate in their selection of BSA unit leaders. Nonetheless, this is another repudiation of antigay discrimination by the Boy Scouts and another key moment for gay rights as openly gay and bisexual adults will be able to participate in Scouting, even if not in every troop or den.

VIDEO: Here's the official announcement.

HRC Denounces Scott Walker

Via press release:

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, released the following statement after Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's campaign refused to answer a question from a Washington Post columnist about whether Walker "thought children needed to be protected from gay men." According to the story, Walker's spokesperson "did not respond."

HRC’s Director of Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof released the following statement: “Scott Walker claims to be a new face on the national stage, but he’s introducing himself to a national audience with an outdated and offensive idea. He and his campaign should answer this simple, straightforward question: Does he think we pose a threat to the health and safety of children? Yes or no? His campaign's attempt to duck this simple question is unworthy of a candidate who is seeking an office that is responsible for representing all Americans – including LGBT people.”

Yesterday, Walker asserted that he supports the Boy Scouts of America (BSA)’s current discriminatory policy that bars gay, lesbian and bisexual adults from serving as employees and troop leaders because it "protected" children.

Boy Scouts Drop Gay Leaders Ban

But there's a religious carve-out. From the HRC:

The vote by the executive committee to recommend that gay, lesbian and bisexual adults be allowed to work and volunteer for the Boy Scouts is a welcome step toward erasing a stain on one of our nation’s most storied organizations,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “But writing in an exemption for troops organized by religious organizations undermines the potentially historic nature of today’s vote.” “As we have said countless times, half measures are unacceptable and discriminatory exemptions have no place in the Boy Scouts. It’s long overdue that BSA leaders demonstrate true leadership and embrace a full national policy of inclusion that does not discriminate against anyone because of who they are,” Griffin said.

Former Southern Baptists Head: Gays Are Stealing America's Cultural Icons

Franklin Graham Has The Boy Scouts Sadz

"Robert Gates, shame on you for not having the moral courage to do what is right. Yesterday Gates, the president of Boy Scouts of America, called for an end to the group’s ban on gay troop leaders. What are you thinking? We shouldn’t shift as the winds of cultural change blow through society; we need to stand for God’s truth and things that are morally right. This move is bending to LGBT activist groups and would put young, innocent boys at risk. I encourage every former Boy Scout and every parent involved in the Boy Scouts to let Robert Gates know how displeased you are and that if he leads the organization down this road, they may lose your support, your participation--and your sons." - Franklin Graham, writing on his Facebook page.

John Stemberger Has The Boy Scouts Sadz

"Trail Life USA is saddened by the announcement regarding the anticipated membership change in Boy Scouts of America, as many families and boys will be negatively affected by this departure from their own long-standing principles. It is tragic that the BSA is willing to risk the safety and security of its boys because of peer pressure from activists groups. Trail Life USA remains committed to timeless Christian values and to the hundreds of Charter Organizations and 23,000 members in 48 states." - Trail Life USA founder John Stemberger, via press release. Stemberger is also the head of the Florida Family Policy Council, which has been represented by the Liberty Counsel in its multiple failed attempts to thwart same-sex marriage.

Boy Scouts President Calls For End To Ban On Openly Gay Adult Leaders

Via Yahoo News:

The Boy Scouts of America will no longer seek to revoke the charters of chapters that accept gay adult leaders, the organization's president, Robert Gates, told its national leadership on Thursday. “The status quo in our movement’s membership standards cannot be sustained,” Gates said during the BSA's annual national meeting. The organization took no formal action on its current policy to ban gay adult leaders, but Gates said the group can no longer "ignore growing internal challenges to our current membership policy." “Nor can we ignore the social, political and juridicial changes taking place in our country – changes taking place at a pace over this past year no one anticipated,” he said. “We must deal with the world as it is, not as we might wish it to be.”

RELATED: Gates served as Secretary of Defense during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired in June 2011, shortly before the repeal of DADT took effect.

Todd Starnes: Vermont Town Won't Let Boy Scouts Pick Up Trash Over Gay Ban

Todd Starnes writes at Fox News:

The folks in Montpelier, Vermont will have to find someone else to pick up trash after their Fourth of July Parade. It seems the Boy Scouts won’t be volunteering this year. And they won’t be selling bottled water either. The Boy Scouts bowed out after city council members criticized the group’s ban on gay adult leaders. The council initially tabled a request for the scouts to participate. Instead, they wanted the children and their leaders to attend another council meeting where they could debate the scout’s ban on gay adult leaders. Councilman Thierry Guerlain told The Times Argus he did not want a group that openly discriminates against gays selling water at the town’s parade – even if it meant banning local Boy Scouts from selling bottled water. So instead of getting bullied by the town council – the scouts decided to withdraw from the parade. We’re going to steer clear of Montpelier for a while,” Scout volunteer Leslie Sanborn told the newspaper. “It’s left a very bad taste in our mouths.”

At the top of Starnes' post: "This commentary is brought to you by Persecuted. In theaters July 18th."

Linda Harvey Is Ever So Pissed About Soldiers And Boy Scouts In Pride Parades

Boy Scouts To Lead NYC Pride

Via press release from GLAAD:

In a historic first, New York-area Boy Scouts will be among the groups leading 14,000 people down Manhattan's 5th Avenue on Sunday at the 44th Annual NYC Pride March, where they will speak out against the Boy Scouts of America's discriminatory ban on gay adults. Three generations of Boy Scouts -- gay and straight -- will be on hand and in uniform at nation's oldest and largest LGBT Pride event, where they will present the American flag during the national anthem and subsequently serve as Color Guard during the march. It is unclear what repercussions (if any) will face the Scouts after participating in the march. The BSA has previously stated that wearing the Scouting uniform during a Pride event is a "violation of the Scout Oath and Scout Law." The Greater New York Councils, which serves nearly 150,000 Scouts in New York City, has previously emphasized its commitment to full inclusion of gay Scouts, however.

From the Brooklyn chapter of Scouts For Equality: "We are grateful for this invitation from NYC Pride, and we are honored and humbled to provide this patriotic service to the LGBT community of New York.

COMPILATION: Gay News In The 1990s

JMG reader Dave Evans has compiled an hour of gay-related news reports that aired in the 1990s. Among the topics: ACT UP demonstrations, the Boy Scouts, gay pride marches, the election of Bill Clinton, the enactment of DADT, the enactment of DOMA, and the murder of Matthew Shepard.

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: Compilations of gay news in the 1970s, gay news in the 1980s, and the first ten years of HIV/AIDS.

Jewish Adults Also Barred From Anti-Gay Trail Life USA Scouting Group

Over at Good As You, Jeremy Hooper points us to this part of FAQ page for Trail Life USA:

Trail Life USA is a Trinitarian Christian organization with a Statement of Faith that includes those denominations that specifically recognize Jesus Christ as the prophesized Messiah of the Jewish scriptures. There are some groups like “Jews for Jesus” that recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah, but continue to hold to Jewish traditions and customs regarding feasts, etc. A Messianic Jew could indeed be a leader. However, a person of the Jewish faith would not be able to sign our Statement of Faith. Thus, according to our membership standards, Jewish churches and organizations would be precluded from chartering Trail Life USA troops. And those of the Jewish faith would indeed be precluded as adult leaders based on their beliefs. However, a Jewish youth could join. And a Jewish parent could be present at troop functions and even on certain camping trips, but not as a recognized or registered leader that would be providing direct leadership to the youth. And the Jewish denomination would not be recognized as a participating Christian denomination in Trail Life USA. This is the same standard currently in effect at the American Heritage Girls, which is our sister youth organization. Trail Life USA is not for everyone. For Troops that want to transfer intact with non-Christian leadership, Trail Life USA will not be an appropriate option.

Trail Life USA was created in reaction to last year's decision by the Boy Scouts to allow openly gay members (but not adult leaders.)

Head Of Christian Boy Scouts Alternative Is "Horrified" By "Seig Heil" Salute Photo

The head of the Christian scouting group that formed in reaction to the lifting of the ban on openly gay Boy Scouts says he wants news outlets to take down a photo which he says mischaracterizes the salute performed at their meetings.

"We were horrified when we saw the photo in question on the MSN site and immediately investigated the situation," Stemberger said in a statement Monday. "This is what we learned... Many Boy Scout Troops have a tradition of ending their troop meetings with the boys gathering in a circle and then singing the song 'Taps' which is a slow ceremonial piece of music played or sung at the end of the day. The Boy Scouts that do this closing ceremony start singing the song with their hands raised straight into the air with the scout sign and then gradually lower their hands till they get to the end of the song when hands are at their side. This longstanding Boy Scout tradition was being followed with this Texas Trail Life troop using the Trail Life sign." "Unfortunately the reporter (either intentionally or unintentionally) caught this photograph at the exact angle which makes their arms look like they are in some kind of a stationary mid-air salute-- which they are not. We have contacted the Associated Press and demanded that they remove the photo from their archives. Unfortunately, they have not complied with our demand to date," said Stemberger.

Trail Life USA only admits boys who "do not promote sexual immorality" and who are "biologically male." (Tipped by JMG reader Hunter)

Disney World Cuts Ties To Boy Scouts

Josh Israel has the story over at Think Progress:

Walt Disney World became the latest business entity to end its support of Boy Scouts of America over its continued refusal to end its ban on openly-LGBT adults. As a result, the Florida theme park will no longer help fund local Scout units in support of employees’ volunteer work. While the Boy Scouts of America’s National Council voted last May to end the group’s long-time ban on openly gay youth, it also reaffirmed its ban on openly LGBT adults serving as volunteers or professionals in the organization. As a result, out Scouts will be kicked out of the organization after their 18th birthday. Walt Disney World’s “Ears to You” grant program functions like an employer matching-gift program, but instead makes donations to charitable organizations for which employees volunteer their time. In the past, this has included Boy Scout troops.

Hit the link for the letter.

January 1st: Boy Scouts Of America To Begin Admitting Openly Gay Youths

The Boy Scouts of America will begin admitting openly gay scouts on January 1st.

Under the new membership policy, youths can no longer be barred from the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts or coed Venturers program solely on the basis of sexual orientation. However, gay Scouts will face some limitations. "Any sexual conduct, whether heterosexual or homosexual, by youth of Scouting age is contrary to the virtues of Scouting," says one BSA document. "No member may use Scouting to promote or advance any social or political position or agenda, including on the matter of sexual orientation." Trying to anticipate potential friction, the BSA has distributed extensive explanations and question-and-answer documents related to the policy. Could a Scout march in uniform in a gay-pride parade? No, says the BSA. "Each youth member is free as an individual to express his or her thoughts or take action on political or social issues but must not use Scouting's official uniforms and insignia when doing so."

UTAH: Boy Scouts Delivered Pizza To Workers Processing Gay Marriage Licenses

Note the rainbow kerchief. Source.

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates Named Head Of Boy Scouts USA

Former US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who championed the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, has been named president of Boy Scouts USA. From their website:

Gates' appointment was made upon the recommendation of national volunteer and professional leaders including the BSA national nominating committee. This move means that upon approval of voting members of the National Council, Gates would begin a two-year term as the BSA national president in May 2014 and lead the National Executive Board, which guides the Boy Scouts of America as it serves approximately 2.6 million youth members. "There is no finer program for preparing American boys for citizenship and leadership than the Boy Scouts of America. As an Eagle Scout, I know firsthand how impactful this program can be and I believe its mission is more important today than ever before," said Gates. "I am honored to take on this role and look forward to working on behalf of the millions of youth and adult members who make Scouting what it is today—an organization providing life-changing opportunities to today's youth."

Gates once hailed the repeal of DADT as a moment for "common sense and common decency." Let's hope he instills some of that ethic with  the Boy Scouts.