tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post8124967239341216059..comments2024-03-27T22:19:42.121-07:00Comments on The Hitchhiker's Guide to National Affairs: Boy Scouts Debate on Gay Adult LeadersUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-65278801415407876832015-05-27T23:55:14.937-07:002015-05-27T23:55:14.937-07:00The National Boy Scouts organization should set th...The National Boy Scouts organization should set the course of direction for all the councils. Discrimination is wrong and letting some councils decide their own fate is taking the easy way out. Sure Gates is more open to doing what is right than previous men in his role, but he is also very experienced and can see how the social norms are changing in the country. That a strongly Catholic nation like Ireland can vote to legalize same sex marriage says a lot. It is clear that discrimination against gay leaders is not morally acceptable. Gates knows that that the Boy Scouts like other organizations must adapt but he doesn’t have the full courage to stand up and call for a comprehensive policy change. This is just putting a Band-Aid on the problem but it is a step in the right direction. Now he needs to step up to drive further change.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15069252081252552926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-4997305999395153572015-05-27T22:22:47.450-07:002015-05-27T22:22:47.450-07:00Boy Scouts is in the awkward position the Catholic...Boy Scouts is in the awkward position the Catholic Church was pre-Papa Frank. The church had a large part of their base was questioning views (partially focused on the lack of acceptance of LGBT) held by the central body and some followers of the faith even directly spoke out and disobeyed these rules (ex: a good number of American nuns).<br /><br />With the boy scouts, they have the branding and the nostalgia, but some of the outdated ideology doesn't meet the generation of the youth and adult leadership. This has led to a number of groups splitting off or disobeying which bring more and more media attention to the issue. Really, all they need to do is overhaul it from the top, but in case of resistance by the central leadership the two options are to 1) find and alternative such as Venturers or 2) keep on disobeying and bringing media attention until they've worn away enough at the policy that it has to crumble. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09957596433089281488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-38130724101642481672015-05-24T16:27:13.534-07:002015-05-24T16:27:13.534-07:00Although I do commend Gates in his awareness of th...Although I do commend Gates in his awareness of the injustice and his efforts to find middle ground, I do not think this is an issue that deserves negotiation. This discrimination against gay leaders and the LGBTQ community is blatantly wrong, and their rights should not be compromised. As Elena said, if a chapter-by-chapter policy was enacted, many chapters would happily continue to operate with discrimination. Only a strong, nation-wide stance against the current rule can truly combat this wrongdoing.Netta Wang 7https://www.blogger.com/profile/10228915330200627211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-38085332424268932742015-05-22T23:39:46.788-07:002015-05-22T23:39:46.788-07:00As Catherine stated, discrimination against the LG...As Catherine stated, discrimination against the LGBTQ community is wrong. The people who are defying this prejudice in Boy Scout chapters should be given respect to. If Boy Scouts decide on keeping an overlying position on this issue, I would assume that gay males would not be allowed to be scout leaders. In very liberal California, it is easy to call outrage and demand equal rights. However, the organization must think about chapters in more conservative parts of the country such as Alabama or Louisiana. It is definitely an uphill battle for the LGBTQ community and allies whether the Boy Scouts will make decisions chapter by chapter or by a unified decision. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-32464690455229532882015-05-22T20:04:50.896-07:002015-05-22T20:04:50.896-07:00Speaking as a Boy Scout myself, I am honestly just...Speaking as a Boy Scout myself, I am honestly just appalled that the BSA still has to debate over updating this policy. Over the last few years, the organization has been constantly criticized for its stance on the sexual orientation of both scouts and leaders, so I definitely agree with Gates in that the current state is unsustainable. I think the BSA should have like one broad position regarding this issue. Chapter by chapter choices would create a sort of rift among the members, whereas with an overlying position, there would be no room for debate. Christian Carlsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17511077328338216686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054910627465846465.post-79606960501096702032015-05-21T22:55:13.094-07:002015-05-21T22:55:13.094-07:00Discrimination based on sexual orientation is wron...Discrimination based on sexual orientation is wrong. I would think that being a good Boy Scout means being accepting of everyone demonstrating traits of compassion and respect. It is 2015! I would like to hope that we all are more accepting of people for who they are. In regards to a unified or chapter by chapter decision to end the ban on gay leaders, I support a unified decision. Boy Scouts is a national organization, thus everything needs to be unified to avoid future conflicts like the United States is facing over gay marriage.Catherine van Blommesteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16266095648544080488noreply@blogger.com