I just finished reading the article below and I thought I’d share some reflections. My perspective is that of a gay Eagle Scout, so I’m torn in both directions. I have little doubt that if I had come out while in scouts, I would have been asked to leave. Despite this, I benefited immensely from my experiences as a scout and I think others do too.
1) Overall scouts is a wonderful organization that benefits the boys who go through it immensely.
2) Without discount, a large meeting space can run hundreds of dollars per hour.
3) School/Municipal meeting spaces are often discounted to community groups. (Including LGBT groups!)
4) Scout troops are often fairly low budget operations.
Considering the above points, I think we should continue making space available to scouts and other youth groups, even if they do discriminate. I think its a shame that scouts chooses to discriminate, but the way to fix that is to work from within scouting. It is not to attack scouting as a whole.
I’m troubled by the increasing religious direction scouts has been taking over the last few years. Ever since the Mormon church took a leadership role, scouts has been heading in what I see as the wrong direction.
Activists: Rental negotiations with Scouts should be open
By Timothy Cwiek
PGN Writer-at-Large
© 2007 Philadelphia Gay News
