The Boy Scouts of America Stumble Towards Progress

In late April I wrote an article for The Good Men Project sharing my thoughts on the proposed amendment to end the ban on gay scouts. The amendment has now passed, and beginning January 2014 the Boy Scouts of America will begin allowing gays amongst their ranks. However the ban on gay leaders remains untouched. Below is an excerpt from my follow up article after the passing of this historic and long-overdue amendment.

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The Boy Scouts have moved a little further out of the last century with this vote. Considering where they came from, it is progress… of sorts. It was a mixed decision, that garnered mixed support and elicited mixed reactions. Most importantly, it sends a mixed message to the young men the BSA so emphatically and repeatedly stated were at the heart of this decision. Particularly to the gay ones.

The message? Please join us. We accept you. Please devote your entire youth to us, so we can train you to be a responsible and well-rounded member of society. Congratulations, here’s your Eagle Award, our highest honor, bestowed on only the most dedicated and honorable Scouts. What’s that? You’d like to take all this knowledge and character and experience we’ve taught you and pass that on to the next generation of Scouts? I’m sorry, you no longer meet our standards. Have you perhaps considered the US Military? Or the Girls Scouts for that matter?

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To read the full article, please visit The Good Men Project.