There have been recent letters to the editor condemning the United Way for pulling its support of the Boy Scouts for their stand on homosexuality. I wonder if the reaction would be the same if a white supremacy group requested funds from the United Way to provide support for a whites-only shelter for the homeless. I believe there would be no outcry when the funds were denied. We could immediately see the blatant unfairness of such a cause. Why, then, should it come as such a surprise and shock that in the interest of fairness the United Way will reluctantly pull its support from the Boy Scouts if they don’t cease to discriminate against our gay sons? It isn’t a question of political correctness; it’s a question of justice.
I was a second generation Boy Scout in the 1950s. I am proud of having been a member of an integrated troop. We learned tolerance, integrity, honor and duty to our creator and country. No one was denied access because of who they were. The team spirit and camaraderie shaped us into the men we were to become. The attitudes and values we learned in scouting were of immense importance as we carried them forward into our adult relationships. The current leadership of the Boy Scouts emphatically states that as a matter of policy, sexual minority boys and gay Scout leaders are not acceptable in this organization. I fear for the gay boy approaching his adulthood living with the message that he is not good enough to be a Boy Scout. I fear for the rest of the boys who are being taught that this intolerance is OK.
Perhaps, the dialogue surrounding this issue for the last several months will cause the Boy Scouts to reassess their position. Just maybe the Boy Scouts will open its doors to all and the United Way can get on with its good work.
Everett Chapter
Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
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