i feel bad for the kid but the scouts dont hide the fact they have these stupid rules right? the kid should join another group that doesnt discriminate.

hopefully in 50 years we wont have any more of these groups that discriminate against someone based on sexual orientation.

and i make a point not to give them any money.

i feel bad for the kid but the scouts dont hide the fact they have these stupid rules right? the kid should join another group that doesnt discriminate.

hopefully in 50 years we wont have any more of these groups that discriminate against someone based on sexual orientation.

and i make a point not to give them any money.

There will ALWAYS be groups that discriminate against sexual orientation, race, religion, etc.

The whole concept of a group is us vs them. It will always come down to putting the welfare of the group ahead of the individual. It's why I don't like gangs. Gangs like the Catholic Church, Democrats, Republicans, Boy Scouts, Kiwanis, Bloods, Crips, etc. Once you form a group, sooner or later, the group takes on it's own need to define itself and differentiate itslf from others.

Very well put. We are social animals and we are drawn to people we see as being like us, such as people who have similar interests, but that has a dark side, too. All of history shows it. I'm a socialist, I tend to 'like' my fellow socialists better than I 'like' free marketers, but even so, I definitely see the danger of that mentality.

I'm sorry for this kid, he is being denied something he has worked hard for and looked forward to for a long time, and I don't like the policies of the Boyscouts. I support their right to be jerks about it, but they should never get any public funding, including free use of public facilities, and if I was asked for donations from them, I would refuse.

As much as I despise their positions and refuse to support them, they are a private organization, and they have the right to set any rules they want as long as they obey the law.

It's really no more complex than that legally.

As for the fairness issue, I feel like this kid knew that this organization was vehemently anti-gay. Expecting them to change their minds for him was naive on his part.

In Australia, the only organisations exempt from our 'anti-discriminatory' legislations are religious organisations. So, I checked out the Scouts.com.au website. No mention of the necessity to be 'straight' in the Scout Law and the Promise includes "To do my duty to my God, and To Australia" Oh, and girls are scouts now too.

The English, scouts.org.uk site clearly states "The Scout Association has an equal opportunities policy, and welcomes members regardless of their sexual orientation or gender." They even have 'It's OK to be Gay' programmes. Oh, and girls are scouts now too.

Sounds like Boy Scouts America needs to catch up.

Australians are much more sensible than Americans.

As much as I despise their positions and refuse to support them, they are a private organization, and they have the right to set any rules they want as long as they obey the law.

It's really no more complex than that legally.

as long as they are not getting special access to government facilities or public school children, I agree.

As for the fairness issue, I feel like this kid knew that this organization was vehemently anti-gay. Expecting them to change their minds for him was naive on his part.

When he joined the cubscouts in elementary school? I doubt he knew the policy or his own orientation.

One could argue that Rosa Parks was naive to think she could expect people to change the back of the bus policy as well.

My boys are both in Scouts. My oldest is up for Eagle. He turned 15 in June. My youngest is almost 12 1/2. He'll be First Class (next comesStar then Life, then Eagle) in the next month or so. The youngest isn't interested in girls at all yet. He's also not interested in boys. He just hasn't matured in that area yet. The oldest had his first crush on a girl in kindergarten.

My sister is gay. She always felt different but didn't actually realize she was gay until she was in high school. even then, she was afraid of what our parents and her peers would say so she tried to deny it and dated boys. She didn't come out even to herself completely until she was in college. Some kids, like my oldest, are 100% straight. Others are teens before they are interested in anyone. Others are nearly adults before they even really know who they are. Still others live their entire life in denial.

The fact taht this kid didn't know he was gay when he was in 1st grade and come out to his parents and say "Mommy I don't want to join cub scouts because I like boys and they are a homophobic organization who will exclude me because of who I love." isn't odd or naive on his part. It would be astounding if a 6yo actually said that in the first place. Hell, it would be astounding if the kid went through 5 years of cub scouts and a year or 2 of boy scouts and said that when they were a young teen.

Yeah, the Boy Scouts can do what they want, but I hope everybody just signs their kids up with different scouting orders and lets them become a niche organization without any larger influence. I hope the same thing happens to the Catholic Church and the cardinals really seem to be trying their best to make it happen.

To me this issue always hilarious.

I mean is there anything gayer than boy scouts? With the short shorts and the neckerchiefs? Making crafts to earn little sew on badges. "No girls allowed!"

Methinks they doth protest to much.

And I know plenty of gay guys who could kick your *kitten*. So what?

And I know plenty of gay guys who could kick your *kitten*. So what?

Chill. I was teasing Brett for saying scounting itself is gay.

Precisely. No worries.

I was just making a joke. I try to never use "gay" to mean "lame" or anything like that. Anyone who knows me knows I love my hombros to death.

And Patti can threaten all she'd like. That woman loves me.