I have chosen to not donate through the United Way of Snohomish County this year because of their support of the Boy Scouts. Yes, the BSA may have the legal right to discriminate against gay youth and leaders, but I will fight to keep my hard-earned salary and the taxes I pay away from organizations that support this kind of hatefulness and fear.
I work for a public agency that serves many clients from the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community, and I can’t, in good moral conscience, support the United Way. I don’t know if my agency has the courage to take a stand on this issue, but as an individual, I will urge all of my coworkers to also withhold their support and donate directly to the charity of their choice. I will also continue to fight organizations whose moral superiority blinds them to the fact that all people are created equal and are deserving of equal rights under the law.
A recent editorial in The Herald (“Boy Scouts dilemma isn’t a win-or-lose proposition,” Sept. 22) made the comment that punishing the United Way or taking opposing stands on this issue will hurt our own community. I say that not speaking out against discrimination hurts our community even more. The United Way is hurting the community by its support of an organization that preaches honesty but punishes those who tell the truth. And the BSA is hurting the community by not withdrawing from the United Way or providing a guarantee that all boys are welcomed and discrimination will not be condoned.
Snohomish
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