Huh.... I was both a scout and an Atheist for a good two years, never was a problem. Although I do live in England where this kind of thing isn't such big deal so... /shrugGennadios said:
I think it's the other way around - parents afraid that the gays will catch their precious young kids.SinisterGehe said:
It has been a very homophobic organization for years. I remember back when I was a kid I would hear stories of Scoutmasters who had come out as gay and then were forced to quit(some in my district even) because of parents freaking out that their kids might get molested.VoidWanderer said:
It's a private club that accepts public money. Also, they did decide who can and cannot join.Xan Krieger said:
Nah it was horrible communication on your part. It wasn't even a stretch to infer that from what you said. It's okay to apologize for it and clarify, it doesn't always have to be the other person's fault. Misinterpretation is not a strawman, this word does not mean what you think it means. Stop.Katatori-kun said:
Of course they can. In the same way that any organisation has the right to discriminate against any group, just most of them won't do it openly due to public backlash. It may be that the higher-ups in Boy Scouts may have genuinely decided that allowing individual scout leaders to make their own choices in regards to banning any gay person whatsoever is the best policy, or, more likely in my opinion, they simply don't wish to fall victim to a public backlash. You are absolutely correct when you say that, as a private club, they have the right to decide who can and cannot join. But they chose this. In response to societal pressure, perhaps, but it was still their own free will. As mentioned, individual troop leaders still have the right to allow or not allow gays into the boy scouts. It is a private club, and it is up to them.Xan Krieger said:
I'm truly sorry for what happened to you and your friends--it's inexcusable. But (and I know that I'm going to sound like an ass for saying this) everyone involved should have been reported to your regional council, because they're usually quick to jump on cases like this. Abuse is grounds for immediate dismissal from Scouts; unfortunately, unless higher-ups are called in, enforcement of that is normally left up to the individual troops, which can lead to cases like yours. Were the incidents ever reported to the Scoutmaster/Cubmaster? (I'm assuming they were, but I just want to make sure.)SonicWaffle said:
If I recall correctly, they still have bans on atheists, but it isn't really enforced in several areas. I was raised Mormon but around 9-10 (just a little while after my baptism unfortunately) deconverted, moving towards deism and finally atheism. I was fully allowed (read: forced by parents) to be a scout. It suprised me to when I read it, but apparently exclusion of atheists is a policy they have.Rapidriots said:
Har har. I quit at about Scout level - they kinda kicked me out for a few weeks for "lack of being involved" or something, and the mental stress got to me (I was a weird kid with a massive guilt complex type thing, shoot me) so I took the opportunity to never come back. I was getting sick of being locked in the equipment cupboard anyway. (No, really, they did that. Like, a lot.)captainfluoxetine said:
While I see what you're saying and am supportive of the rights of private citizens and "clubs" to do as they wish (within the bounds of the law), there are two very important points to keep in mind when it comes to this particular organization: (1) they receive government support (though, it is important to stress, they do not receive direct federal funding or "taypayers' money"), and (2) a group of such size, significance, and which directly works to affect children should expect to be held to account in the court of public opinion. Just as a private club has the right to exclude, private citizens have the right to take actions in the court of public opinion to affect change on the organization's policies.Xan Krieger said:
Well they won't need any help sewing on their badges, and their knowledge of treating sore areas will probably help them earn some kind of first aid badge.Thunderous Cacophony said:
There's also the SLIGHTLY more reasonable "2 gay scouts in a tent would be like putting a boy scout and a girl scout in a tent", as well as the fact that many troops are funded by churches which don't like gays (not a solid argument, seeing as this would merely allow troops to choose wether or not to allow gay scouts and leaders).captainfluoxetine said:
