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Will Scouts be Stigmatized?


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In the Supreme Court's DOMA ruling, the majority stated that prohibiting gay adults from marrying created a stigma for the children of gay parents. You can draw a parallel in the BSA gay adult leader ban creates a similar stigma. Children of heterosexual parents are allowed to be leaders where children of gay parents are NOT allowed.

 

Not only does the BSA policy create two classes of adult leaders, it also creates a two classes of Scouts. Johnny's parents are allowed to be leaders but Jimmy's parents are NOT.

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I think there are many classes of adult leaders, I know my Eagle Scout neighbor who was arrested for making and selling adult pornographic movies was turned down by the BSA. He didn't even have kids. I know of a drug dealer older brother (bad one) that was turned away as well. Should we be afraid of stigmatizing the kids by those behavior classifications? What you are really saying is the BSA legitimized homosexuallity as a dangerous behavior, which you don't agree. Is homosexuality a dangerous behavior? I think it is, so we agree to disagree. Barry

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I think there are many classes of adult leaders, I know my Eagle Scout neighbor who was arrested for making and selling adult pornographic movies was turned down by the BSA. He didn't even have kids. I know of a drug dealer older brother (bad one) that was turned away as well. Should we be afraid of stigmatizing the kids by those behavior classifications? What you are really saying is the BSA legitimized homosexuallity as a dangerous behavior, which you don't agree. Is homosexuality a dangerous behavior? I think it is, so we agree to disagree. Barry
How is it dangerous behavior?
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DigitalScout ... and your point is? BSA also doesn't want overweight leaders and it probably stigmatizes their kids too

 

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I should mention I think BSA should not reject leaders based on orientation. Let charter organizations choose leaders that reflect their beliefs and values. Get BSA out of this political war. More importantly get kids out of this political war and TO HECK with the people who want to fight this societal battle on a kids playground.

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I think there are many classes of adult leaders, I know my Eagle Scout neighbor who was arrested for making and selling adult pornographic movies was turned down by the BSA. He didn't even have kids. I know of a drug dealer older brother (bad one) that was turned away as well. Should we be afraid of stigmatizing the kids by those behavior classifications? What you are really saying is the BSA legitimized homosexuallity as a dangerous behavior, which you don't agree. Is homosexuality a dangerous behavior? I think it is, so we agree to disagree. Barry
My editor doesn't work well with the Scouter site, so I will keep the answer short. Please forgive the bluntness of the answer. I have much better answers to the question buried somewhere in the archives. I have seen no evidence in my life time that the homosexuality behavior is any more natural than humans who desire sex with animals. Their is the mental and physical health issues of the person who desires to participate in the behavior as well as the the health issues of continued behavior. That being said, I have close friends and relatives who are gay, so I'm not ignorant to the behavior and lifestyle. I have a lot of compassion for them because I see them suffer greatly. Barry
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DigitalScout ... and your point is? BSA also doesn't want overweight leaders and it probably stigmatizes their kids too

 

=====================

 

I should mention I think BSA should not reject leaders based on orientation. Let charter organizations choose leaders that reflect their beliefs and values. Get BSA out of this political war. More importantly get kids out of this political war and TO HECK with the people who want to fight this societal battle on a kids playground.

Agreed, I find it bizarre that they are attacking a program that is 2/3s elementary school kids about sexual orientation. I'd get out of the entire structure. We have values, an oath, etc. We leave it to our Councils, Districts, and Charter Organization to define the details.

 

Don't want gay leaders, don't charter units to churches that recognize them. Use the chartering process to control the values, and get the government back able to endorse.

 

We do not require a religious belief for membership. But if the boy doesn't complete his religious achievements, he doesn't earn his ranks that require it. We don't discriminate, and get back into the schools.

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DigitalScout ... and your point is? BSA also doesn't want overweight leaders and it probably stigmatizes their kids too

 

=====================

 

I should mention I think BSA should not reject leaders based on orientation. Let charter organizations choose leaders that reflect their beliefs and values. Get BSA out of this political war. More importantly get kids out of this political war and TO HECK with the people who want to fight this societal battle on a kids playground.

Use the chartering process to control the values, and get the government back able to endorse.

 

We do not require a religious belief for membership. But if the boy doesn't complete his religious achievements, he doesn't earn his ranks that require it. We don't discriminate, and get back into the schools.

 

You can't get government support if members' religious views can result in inferior treatment; unless atheists and anyone who created their own religious cult last weekend can earn all ranks, that won't be good enough.

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My point is that the Supreme Court ruled against DOMA in part because they felt that children with gay parents would be stigmatized because their parents would be unable to get married. In that line of thinking, scouts would be stigmatized because their parents will be ineligible to be leaders.

 

BSA also doesn't want overweight leaders and it probably stigmatizes their kids too.

Considering that the overwhelming majority (~70%) of American adults are overwieght or obese, I don't think there is a stigma for the kids in that regard.

 

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DigitalScout ... and your point is? BSA also doesn't want overweight leaders and it probably stigmatizes their kids too

 

=====================

 

I should mention I think BSA should not reject leaders based on orientation. Let charter organizations choose leaders that reflect their beliefs and values. Get BSA out of this political war. More importantly get kids out of this political war and TO HECK with the people who want to fight this societal battle on a kids playground.

What ranks require religious achievement?
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I think that, at least for Boy Scouts - all Scouts feel stigmatized because their parents are - well they are their parents! Being embarrassed about your parents is a time honored teen-age rite of passage. Now if one was the Scoutmaster - that makes it even worse! :eek:

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Yes, all children with gay parents will be stigmatized regardless of BSA's policy.
Fred, I think your association with certain religions, the tendency of some people to stigmatize other people, is in error. I think the tendency of some people to stigmatize others will remain with them regardless of the presence or absence of these religions. Some of us are just like that. I would like to think it's not an innate quality but I could be wrong and it might be innate to some people.
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Gee, when I was that age, the last thing I wanted was my parents involved in any activity I was involved in. We had our family time and then I needed space the rest of the time. It didn't matter if it was church, scouts, or school. These were areas were I needed to develop on my own. The last thing I needed in my life was having to go to the principal's office and find my mother sitting there. :)

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