Be
prepared. That's the motto of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) – the
organization that's been serving young men since 1910. Some parents
really weren't prepared when the organization officially announced at a
meeting last month, as a result of voting, that gay youths could join
the group.
Numerous reports now indicate that parents are pulling their children
out of the Boy Scouts, which serves ages 11 through 17, due to changed
guidelines. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with a gay male
joining this prestigious organization – not that I knew too much about
them prior to doing some research for this column on exactly what the
scouts do on a regular basis. My beef with this issue isn't the fact
that the Boy Scouts are now allowing gay youths to be part of their
activities. Does it really matter if a 12- year-old boy is “possibly”
gay and wants to serve his community? My question, before all of this
'acceptance' stuff comes into play is: How does an 11-year-old even know
that he's gay?
The Scouts are known for their acts of kindness,
dedication, heroism and volunteerism. The idea is for the organization
to help boys become strong and honorable role models in their community
and beyond. Why would changing the guidelines change the mission of the
Boy Scouts? Will gay youngsters do things differently than straight ones
when it comes to performing their civic duties? Perhaps in their
creative workshops, their projects will be more feminine – or “flaming”
as many straight people say.
Let's
get real. The only reason this stipulation has been considered, it
seems, is because the BSA doesn't want to discriminate in the event that
one of their members “turns out to be gay.” How would a boy “act gay”
at such a young age? What would that mean? Weaving baskets for the
homeless with extra bright pink colors while singing a Broadway tune? If
a youngster happens to follow the stereotypes of what could portray
homosexuality, are they going to be treated any different?
Without being embarrassed, I might just assume that a bigger part of
the BSA's concern is the possible “flirtatious” practices a gay Scout
might engage in. Or, maybe the organization is simply trying to
modernize its fellowship and show young boys that it's okay to accept
people who are different and have different sexual preferences. Still,
if the Boy Scouts' mission is to instill values that a young man will be
proud of, all youngsters will receive the same set of valuable skills
whether they're straight or gay, so why change or alter the acceptance
rules? Some parents are reportedly so upset that gay boys will be
allowed in the Boy Scouts that they've removed their children from the
organization. Is this because they don't agree with the idea of gay
people having the same rights as those who are straight? Or is it
because they feel their children's sexuality will be challenged by the
new guidelines set forth by the BSA? While adult Boy Scout membership
excludes gays, the religious aspects of being a Scout is one of the more
specific reasons parents don't want their children involved. The
Scout's web site says: “Scouting encourages each young person to begin a
spiritual journey through the practice of his faith's tradition.” But,
if one's faith goes against homosexuality, how is that member – and
their family - supposed to handle the new regulation?
There are various organizations in our community for youths -
including the Explorers and Bergen Beach Youth Organization - which help
foster their sense of civic involvement. There's no voting process, at
least to my knowledge – to decide if someone who's gay can or can't be
part of these local organizations. Sure, they operate on a much smaller
scale than the Boy Scouts, but even suggesting that a child's sexuality
has anything to do with building their ability is a sensitive topic and
that's not a highlight of acceptance. Just because the member of a youth
group is gay doesn't deplete their ability to serve the community, so
why does it matter?
By the age of 17, many young men have an idea about their sexuality,
but how would the organization recognize that one of their members is
“out?” What if a young man decided not to inform anyone of his sexuality
until later in life? Call me ignorant, but Scouts who are eight, nine
and ten years old probably don't plan on sharing their thoughts or
feelings about their sexuality. Didn't they join Boy Scouts to gain
experience, prestige and respect? Yes, Scouts are expected to learn life
lessons – and acceptance of differences. However, why are we bringing
someone's lifestyle choice to the attention of boys who are probably too
young to form an opinion on the issue?
The sensitive topic of accepting anyone from the gay community looms
overhead now. What about the Girl Scouts accepting lesbian members?
Women bond on many physical levels - doing each other's hair, helping
each other get dressed for special occasions and other comforting forms
of “sisterhood.” Is there a concern about the “dangers” of lesbianism
among Girl Scouts? Where does it end? No matter what your preference is,
there's a never-ending list of questions about what homosexuality has
to do with building strong character within one's community and becoming
a prestigious leader. Your partner's gender doesn't need to be made
public. Outstanding public service is the most important thing we have
to recognize.
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