BSA Homophobic?

So disappointed the Boy Scouts of America have retained their policy of no gays – either among the scouting ranks or in leadership positions. They had an opportunity to redress their discriminatory policy. They even claimed an open process two years long examined the policy from every direction. Yet they came to the old conclusion again; unanimously no less.

Now, unanimous is hard to come by if the process were totally open; and as exhaustive as their two year timeline suggests. Surely someone with an opposing view would have voiced their position. With all the national attention focused on the BSA over this issue, the public felt encouragement to hope that an easing of the policy was imminent. But no; not to be. Let us remember this national pressure has been ongoing for about five years now.

Funny how that worked out. Seems to me that the process of examination was not open and was not exhaustive.

The issue of pro or anti gay rests in the bedrock of their theology, I think. If you are a conservative Christian and take the Bible literally, then you see things that others don’t. You make your pronouncements based on ‘abominations’ you choose to focus on while omitting all of the ‘abominations’ listed in the Bible.

Biblical researchers will help you understand what the Bible said back when it was written. Those researchers will help you understand the culture of the time and what people believed and why. The researchers will also tell you how language changed over the millennia and reshaped meanings of phrases and words. Understanding the Bible in the language of 2012 is difficult indeed.

If you care to really understand something you have to dig. The lazy person relies on the words of others, the work of others, the lack of questioning of others.

The BSA is in the control of fearful people. They love the status quo. They play theologian and Biblical scholar without the credentials. Last I understood the internal BSA management and leadership culture, the Mormons had a lock on it all. If that remains true then it is easy to understand how the BSA came to be this conservative, inward viewing organization.  God and Country indeed!

I see America as being inclusive. I view our nation as one which celebrates the uniqueness of each individual. Ours is a country built on individuality, not lemming behavior of follow the leader over the cliff! I also think the vast majority of Americans believe in ‘live and let live.’ Who am I to judge the other? Why then do they judge me?

The Mormons, and conservatives in general, seem to think that gay people are predators. Why on earth would they think that? Do they think straight people aren’t predators? At least some of them? Who are the pedophiles? Are they mostly straight or mostly gay? Research tells us this is a straight person’s problem. Sure there are gay pedophiles, but that does not define all gay people, no more so than it defines all straight people.

There are gay teens in the BSA. They won’t tell you, but they are there. There are gay scoutmasters; they won’t tell you but they are there. They are there for the same reason that straight boys and scoutmasters are there – to help other people develop healthy lives via the scouting philosophy and educational mission. Scouting is good. It works. It should be supported and embraced throughout the land.

But not as a discriminatory, head in the sand organization. Such will only distort the young minds of the generations entrusted to the BSA leadership.  Shame on them.

If America is good, and I think it is, and if the BSA is good, and I think it is, then there is no room in either for discrimination. And petty ignorance.

If the BSA and its hoped for product of enlightened young men is to live up to its promise, then it needs to get with the reality and truth of the times. Else we train misfits.

What a waste of hope and principle.

July 20, 2012