And another American institution destroyed

[Dave_L]

It's an all boy/man organization. Letting in a person that is gay is the same as letting a female in, IMO. They might find themselves with a hefty lawsuit if there's an "incident" during a camp out. However, who's to say they don't already have gays/pedo's in there already? I am not familiar with how membership works though. Do they have a screening process or is it a "Fill this form out and you're in" kind of thing. How many people would come out and say "I'm gay!" that are trying to join BSA or would announce it if they are already in it?

[Ridge]

You just proved my point.

Wasn't your point that tolerance is the downfall of society?

[StagLefty]

It's an all boy/man organization. Letting in a person that is gay is the same as letting a female in, IMO. They might find themselves with a hefty lawsuit if there's an "incident" during a camp out. However, who's to say they don't already have gays/pedo's in there already? I am not familiar with how membership works though. Do they have a screening process or is it a "Fill this form out and you're in" kind of thing. How many people would come out and say "I'm gay!" that are trying to join BSA or would announce it if they are already in it?

You have to have a background check run if your going to be a leader and also take their Youth Protection Course.

[Fmedges]

There was a bunch of back-lash when the scouts announced that gays were not welcome last year. Many parents pulled their support and kids from scouts.
This turn around is probably to try and get those kids and support back in scouting.

That being said, it makes things uncomfortable for non-gay kids knowing they are sharing private space like cabins and showers with gay kids.
This is the main reason that gays have not been welcome in the past... kind of like mixed male/female spaces.
Gay leaders I have never had a problem with as adults don't share personal space or facilities with the kids. Exception being if you are a leader you can tent with your child only.

We shared spaces in the Corps with a gay man that was in my plt and we never had a problem at all. I am not a gay man, but I don't think that they are any less people than the rest of us. I have had a gay teacher at school that was very effeminate to the point where it was very distracting and every gesture or phrase was sexual in nature. I think that the individual dictates whether their sexuality is going cause issues or not. That being said if organizations don't want gay, straight, women or men for example then they should be allowed to do as they want. I'm sure that the BSA has had to eat a lot of shit over the years for this stance, but I don't have a problem with it.

[car-15]

It's an all boy/man organization. Letting in a person that is gay is the same as letting a female in, IMO. They might find themselves with a hefty lawsuit if there's an "incident" during a camp out. However, who's to say they don't already have gays/pedo's in there already? I am not familiar with how membership works though. Do they have a screening process or is it a "Fill this form out and you're in" kind of thing. How many people would come out and say "I'm gay!" that are trying to join BSA or would announce it if they are already in it?

there is a full background check, and over an 1 hr of training on youth protection. our troop is sponsored by a Methodist church, (they appear to be fruit friendly) so them letting the charter of the troops decide is going to be interesting for us to say the least.

[Dave_L]

You have to have a background check run if your going to be a leader and also take their Youth Protection Course.

Good to know. Thanks for the info. I'm still willing to bet there's plenty of gays already in there that just don't publicize it and probably wouldn't even if they started accepting gays officially.

[StagLefty]

Wasn't your point that tolerance is the downfall of society?

Helluva difference between tolerance and acceptance IMHO

[XC700116]

We shared spaces in the Corps with a gay man that was in my plt and we never had a problem at all. I am not a gay man, but I don't think that they are any less people than the rest of us. I have had a gay teacher at school that was very effeminate to the point where it was very distracting and every gesture or phrase was sexual in nature. I think that the individual dictates whether their sexuality is going cause issues or not. That being said if organizations don't want gay, straight, women or men for example then they should be allowed to do as they want. I'm sure that the BSA has had to eat a lot of shit over the years for this stance, but I don't have a problem with it.

I'd have to agree with Fmedges on this pretty much to a T.

IMO, the attitude that gays are somehow less than human is on the same level as anti-gun people trying to persecute us for exercising our 2A rights. No matter the mix if everyone involved is a consenting adult and it happens behind closed doors, I don't care if they what they do sexually.

Also the fact that any organization should be allowed to pick and choose who they want as members and who they don't know matter the reasons.

Life, LIBERTY, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

[StagLefty]

^ Big issue is adults and kids not consenting adults,

[XC700116]

^ Big issue is adults and kids not consenting adults,

So you're saying that you believe the myth that all gays are pedophiles??