From: David Vaughan (dvaughan@LIGHTSPEED.NET)
Date: Thu Jun 29 2000 - 00:37:47 CDT
I copied this from the MSNBC web site:
Banning gays in Boy Scouts
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Boy Scouts vs. Dale
Boy Scouts of America v. Dale Case #: 99-699
Argument date: April 26, 2000
Decision date: June 28, 2000
CASE:
Boy Scouts of America and Monmouth Council, Boy Scouts of America vs.
James Dale
ISSUE:
May the Boy Scouts, claiming rights of free speech and free
association, deny membership to homosexuals?
DECISION:
The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, ruled the Boy Scouts can bar
homosexuals from serving as troop leaders.
The 5-4 decision said forcing the Scouts to accept gay troop leaders
would violate the organization’s rights of free expression and free
association under the Constitution’s First Amendment.
“The Boy Scouts asserts that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with
the values it seeks to instill,” Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote
for the court. Requiring them to accept a gay scoutmaster “would
significantly burden the organization’s right to oppose or disfavor
homosexual conduct.” He added, however, “We are not, as we must not be,
guided by our views of whether the Boy Scouts’ teaching with respect to
homosexual conduct are right or wrong.”
