Supreme Court, 5-4, l Boy Suts may exclu gay members bee opposn to homosexualy is part of anizatn's 'exprsive msage'; overturns New Jersey Supreme Court lg that applied state's anti-discrimatn law to require troop to readm longtime member and assistant sutmaster, Jam Dale, whom dismissed after learng he was gay; Chief Jtice William H Rehnquist wr majory opn; dissenters accept prciple that anizatn nnot be forced to adopt unwanted msage, but challenge s applitn se, holdg Boy Suts failed to show that they held opposn to homosexualy as key te before se; photo (M)
Contents:
- CAN A GAY BOY SUT SHARE A TENT WH ANOTHER BOY? BOY SUTS SURVEY MEMBERS ON ANTI-GAY POLICY
- 'EXTREMELY DISAPPOTG': SUTS BOOT OPENLY GAY TROOP LEAR
- BOY SUTS VS. GAYS
- CONFSNS OF A GAY BOY SUT
- THE SUPREME COURT: THE NEW JERSEY CASE; SUPREME COURT BACKS BOY SUTS IN BAN OF GAYS FROM MEMBERSHIP
- BOY SUTS CHANGE POLICY ON GAY LEARS
CAN A GAY BOY SUT SHARE A TENT WH ANOTHER BOY? BOY SUTS SURVEY MEMBERS ON ANTI-GAY POLICY
The Boy Suts of Ameri cut ti wh an openly gay Sutmaster Seattle after disverg his sexual orientatn. * scouts part 4 gay *
But the summer of 1990, Dale received a letter rmg him that his membership had been revoked, simply bee he was gay. Dpe Dale’s 12-year relatnship wh the Boy Suts, the anizatn severed their ti wh him after learng of a news article that intified him as the -print of his universy’s Lbian/Gay Alliance.
In a 5-4 cisn, the Supreme Court narrowly affirmed the Boy Suts right to ny membership to openly gay dividuals. On July 27, a full 25 years after they revoked Dale’s membership, the anizatn announced would extend membership to openly gay lears.
More troublgly, though, the hatn also perpetuated the historic and homophobic perceptn of gay adults as promiscuo dividuals wh nefar tentns. Although is now possible for gay lears to serve openly the Boys Suts of Ameri, dog so is still jt that: a possibily, not a guarantee.
'EXTREMELY DISAPPOTG': SUTS BOOT OPENLY GAY TROOP LEAR
How the Boy Suts' ntroversial cisn banng gays affects s future * scouts part 4 gay *
The Boy Suts has lifted s ban on openly gay lears and employe, but has allowed relig chartered anizatns, which operate more than 70 percent of the Boy Suts Sutg uns, “to e relig beliefs as creria for selectg adult lears, cludg matters of sexualy, ” acrdg to their announcement. 06/27/200101:32Sut Lear Big Gay AlSouth ParkS5 E2The boys attend their first Mounta Suts meetg wh sut lear Big Gay Al. 06/27/200100:54Homosexualy Is A ChoiceSouth ParkS5 E2When the other parents hear about Big Gay Al, they all voice their ncern.
06/27/200101:10Pky SwearSouth ParkS5 E2The Boy Suts' board of directors cis that Big Gay Al should be fired. 06/27/200100:56Get Your Big Gay Ass Off The CouchSouth ParkS5 E2The boys pay a vis to a very prsed Big Gay Al.
The policy change that took effect on January 1 of 2014 means that no youth member of any BSA program n be expelled simply for beg gay, lbian, or bisexual. There are still nsiratns for Suts and Suters of all ag who are gay, lbian, bisexual, or qutng their sexual orientatn and want to be open and hont about who they are.
BOY SUTS VS. GAYS
Ok I adm I too have lived the life of a gay boy sut. I loved my time suts. You n image the disappotment when suts show themselv as bigots * scouts part 4 gay *
If you are a youth member and are gay, lbian, bisexual or qutng your sexual orientatn and want to be open wh your Sutg fay, you may be aaid that your fellow Suts and Suters will treat you differently or lose rpect for you. While a youth member (up to age 18 the Boy Suts and up to age 21 Venturg) may not be expelled om a Sutg un for the reason of beg gay or lbian, will take time for all members of the BSA to unrstand that we all have herent digny and serve rpect for who we are no matter our sexual orientatn. If you are a Boy Sut actively volved the Orr of the Arrow between the ag of 18 and 20 or Venturg and unr the age of 21, you may want to nfirm that eher (1) your un allows gay adults, or (2) you’re also registered on the district or uncil level, before g out.
While the BSA n no longer expel you om Sutg for g out as gay, lbian, or bisexual, if you’re above the age of 18, fah-based uns are allowed to ny you membership that un. Connect wh someone else who is lbian, gay, or bisexual who unrstands what you are gog through and will affirm you along the way. If someone out to you as lbian, gay, bisexual, or qutng, be supportive, affirm them as an dividual, and thank them for tstg you.
Some Friends have exprsed their ncerns about Quaker volvement wh Sutg bee of Boy Suts of Ameri’s policy preventg openly gay or lbian dividuals om beg members. While there is no global nsens on the issue, the Sut associatns Canada, the Uned Kgdom, and the Uned Stat wele gay, lbian, and transgenr youth and adults. “There is no basis on which any volunteer offerg his or her servic any pacy n be refed an appotment , or Membership of, the Movement on the grounds of heterosexual or homosexual orientatn.
CONFSNS OF A GAY BOY SUT
* scouts part 4 gay *
Homosexualy has been perceived as patible wh Sutg by some people (both wh and outsi The Sut Associatn) on the basis of a prumed lk between homosexualy and paedophilia. There is no lk between homosexualy and paedophilia, and therefore there is no jtifitn for rtrictg Membership on this basis.
The Sut Associatn UK) has also prepared rource material to assist young gay and lbian members of Sutg g out and material to assist adults and lears supportg young gay and lbian members of Sutg. ” The are some of the qutns on a survey beg nducted by the Boy Suts of Ameri as the private youth anizatn prepar to ci whether should end s ntroversial policy banng gay Suts and lears.
THE SUPREME COURT: THE NEW JERSEY CASE; SUPREME COURT BACKS BOY SUTS IN BAN OF GAYS FROM MEMBERSHIP
But this time, the BSA ed the survey to add qutns about the policy banng gays (those qutns went only to adults) spokman Deron Smh, who provid the qutns on the survey to NBC News, said an email that “the BSA is mted to dialogue on the topic of s membership standards policy, wh the Sutg fay at the lol and natnal levels.
The Boy Suts’ policy has creasgly been a sore spot for the anizatn over the last year, followg the dismissal of a n lear bee she is a lbian and the nial of the Eagle Sut rank to a California teen bee he is gay. Tristam HarrgtonWhen the BSA announced late January that may dch the natnal policy and stead let lol sponsorg anizatns ci if gays n jo, the anizatn received a flood of rpons om both sis.
The Boy Suts have asked for the surveys to be returned by April BSA also asked if the currently policy was a “re value” of Sutg and if rponnts would leave the BSA if a cisn was ma that disagreed wh their qutns on the survey clu:A gay male troop lear, along wh another adult lear, is takg a group of boys on a mpg trip followg the youth protectn guil of two-ep learship.
BOY SUTS CHANGE POLICY ON GAY LEARS
Johnny’s pack is chartered to a church where the doctre of that fah do not teach that homosexualy is wrong.