Boy Scouts
Today the Boy Scouts of America made a major policy change. Some of my friends are disappointed with it... some because they wanted the existing policy to stand and others because they feel the change is not comprehensive enough. As usual, I've been thinking about this a lot.
According to www.scouting.org, they "approved a resolution to remove the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone.The resolution also reinforces that Scouting is a youth program, and any sexual conduct, whether heterosexual or homosexual, by youth of Scouting age is contrary to the virtues of Scouting."
There is a LOT of information in these two sentences: more than meets the eye. There is a strong acknowledgement that sexual orientation is not the same as engaging in sexual activity. This is a critical distinction. Many gay people (including me) grew up being taught that they are condemned or diminished because of their identity as a gay person. This is distinct from many other issues, which are a problem because of the action, involved, not the identity.
In my opinion, BSA has a long history of helping young boys grow into young men, but some of them have come to realize that they are gay. Many of those who have come out or been found out have had their membership revoked, and in a flash have lost one of the supporting pillars of their lives. You can ask almost anyone about the benefits of scouting, and they'll name at least one. Imagine yourself at 15 having those benefits abruptly taken from you. Many many young people, especially these days, realize that they are gay before they have engaged in sexual activity with anyone. But up until now, just the acknowledgment that he is growing up to be a gay man has been enough to turn a Boy Scout into just another wounded soul.
My son was not a scout. Whether the likelihood that he would grow up to be gay was 10% or .01%, I could never take that risk with his life. He had to find socialization in other avenues, and I have never provided BSA with one cent of support that I am aware of.
Today's resolution by BSA did not reverse the policy on adult volunteers. An unfortunate decision, and I will continue to campaign for reversal of that policy, too. I AM, however, pleased to read that BSA is already making the distinction between sexual orientation and sexual activity. It gives me hope that they, collectively, will come to realize that sexual orientation is not a predictor of misconduct, and therefore this ban isn't getting them anywhere, except to are deny themselves a growing pool of good men who are honest with the world about who they love.
I cannot be a scout leader or a den mother because I am gay. But one of the gifts of being an adult is maturity, and the experience and skill to manage that disappointment far better than the typical teenager. So for today, I am okay with the decision that they made. It's not the end of the journey: it's one step. A big step, and an important one, but definitely not the last one.
According to www.scouting.org, they "approved a resolution to remove the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone.The resolution also reinforces that Scouting is a youth program, and any sexual conduct, whether heterosexual or homosexual, by youth of Scouting age is contrary to the virtues of Scouting."
There is a LOT of information in these two sentences: more than meets the eye. There is a strong acknowledgement that sexual orientation is not the same as engaging in sexual activity. This is a critical distinction. Many gay people (including me) grew up being taught that they are condemned or diminished because of their identity as a gay person. This is distinct from many other issues, which are a problem because of the action, involved, not the identity.
In my opinion, BSA has a long history of helping young boys grow into young men, but some of them have come to realize that they are gay. Many of those who have come out or been found out have had their membership revoked, and in a flash have lost one of the supporting pillars of their lives. You can ask almost anyone about the benefits of scouting, and they'll name at least one. Imagine yourself at 15 having those benefits abruptly taken from you. Many many young people, especially these days, realize that they are gay before they have engaged in sexual activity with anyone. But up until now, just the acknowledgment that he is growing up to be a gay man has been enough to turn a Boy Scout into just another wounded soul.
My son was not a scout. Whether the likelihood that he would grow up to be gay was 10% or .01%, I could never take that risk with his life. He had to find socialization in other avenues, and I have never provided BSA with one cent of support that I am aware of.
Today's resolution by BSA did not reverse the policy on adult volunteers. An unfortunate decision, and I will continue to campaign for reversal of that policy, too. I AM, however, pleased to read that BSA is already making the distinction between sexual orientation and sexual activity. It gives me hope that they, collectively, will come to realize that sexual orientation is not a predictor of misconduct, and therefore this ban isn't getting them anywhere, except to are deny themselves a growing pool of good men who are honest with the world about who they love.
I cannot be a scout leader or a den mother because I am gay. But one of the gifts of being an adult is maturity, and the experience and skill to manage that disappointment far better than the typical teenager. So for today, I am okay with the decision that they made. It's not the end of the journey: it's one step. A big step, and an important one, but definitely not the last one.