I haven’t met too many Eagle Scouts in my life. Statistically speaking, you shouldn’t meet too many Eagle Scouts in your life. The title’s only bestowed upon the best the Boy Scouts of America has to offer. The first Eagle Scout I met was a pal of mine in college. He was exactly the kind of person you’d envision being an Eagle Scout. He fit the Scout Law to a tee; he was trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obiedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
He was also gay.
He came out in college after already becoming an Eagle Scout. He knew that by identifying as gay, he was no longer a member of the organization, but he was still proud of being an Eagle Scout. How could he not be? He had committed years of his life to an organization that he loved and he didn’t want to denounce being a Boy Scout. He also didn’t want to lie about his sexual orientation. He wasn’t a deviant. He wasn’t evil. He wasn’t a pervert. He was just a really awesome young man who happened to be biologically built to fall in love with other really awesome young men.
Since the creation of the Boy Scouts of America in 1910, the organization has sought to give young men in America a moral backbone and comprehensive education in stuff like reading compasses and taking care of campfires and other mysterious “boy things” that Boy Scouts do (but that Girl Scouts could also easily do if they ever had the progressive idea to integrate the two groups as in the Pawnee Goddess episode of Parks and Recreation).
The Boy Scouts of America is also a staunchly “Christian”* organization. Its first major financial backer was the Church of Latter-Day Saints and it prides itself on including G-d in its teachings. So much so that athiests, agnostics and homosexuals, like my friend, are banned from participating in the Boy Scouts.
Just this week, the Boy Scouts reaffirmed their ban on homosexuals, creating a national firestorm. Many feel the decision shows a lack of modernity, as the Girl Scouts of America not only allow gays, but also transsexuals into their ranks. Others argue that the decision is protecting boys from pedophiles and conserving traditional values. To me, the Boy Scouts of America’s decision says, whom a person falls in love with is more important than the content of their character. Whether you’re gay or straight, that’s a terrible way to judge a person’s worth. I mean, I’m a nice, upstanding member of society, but if I was judged on the men I’ve fallen in love with…well, let’s just say people would think I’m insanely stupid.**
The most important thing about the Boy Scouts, is that they teach young men to “be prepared”. What will happen in ten years when a Cub Scout goes to college and has a gay roommate? What happens when he has a gay coworker? What happens if it turns out, as in the case of my friend, that he is actually gay? Will he be prepared to deal with these quandaries? In today’s world, you have to be able to accept people who are different than you because that’s what the world is: a place where everyone is different from you. In my life, I’ve had to use tolerance to thrive, far more than I’ve needed to build a fire to survive.
That said, the Boy Scouts of America is a private organization and in the United States of America that means that they have the freedom to be exclusive with their membership if they so desire. It also means that if I so desire, I could start the Elephant Scouts of America wherein only people who have ridden an elephant can join. The Elephant Scouts would soon be the coolest, smartest, most fun organization and it would cruelly ban people who have never ridden an elephant due to personal circumstance. It would also suggest that because of that circumstance, the universe hates them and that they pose a threat to the livelihood of all elephant riders.***
So, yes, the Boy Scouts of America have the right to exclude homosexuals (and athiests)(and agnostics) in their bid to promote traditional Christian values. However, one of the many reasons that I so passionately support gay rights, is because of the teachings of Christ. I know everyone reads different versions of the Bible, but in the version I read, Jesus Christ was this person who hung out with lepers, prostitutes and other people whom society liked to judge. When some more clean-cut folks in his group pointed out that lepers were gross and prostitutes sinful, he was all like, “Yeah, that’s why they need my love more than you do.” He wouldn’t judge anyone. He would just offer love to people. He’d be hanging out with everyone. But of course, at the risk of inciting some crazy theological debate (which is not my hope nor intent), this was just my innocent, naive, nine-year old interpretation of the Bible. Everyone is free to have their own.
It just seems to me that it’s never better to hate, it’s just easier.
I would just like to live in a world where, if I meet a Boy Scout, I can trust that he’s a nice guy and not someone who potentially–and hatefully–judges those who are different from him. For the most part, I think that’s the case, but this decision makes me wonder.
Featured image via LAtimes.com (Karen Bleier / AFP / Getty Images / July 17, 2012)
* There are a lot of different kinds of Christianity. I’m not going to assume the Boy Scouts represent all of them.
** If you are charming and witty, yet emotionally and spiritually vacant inside, call me!
*** By the way, I have ridden an elephant. Twice. I was four and Busch Gardens Tampa used to let kids ride one of their elephants. One time, about eight tykes–including myself–were on the elephant’s back and instead of waddling around in a circle, it slowly backed up and relieved itself into a dumpster–while I was still on it waving to my parents. I have photographic proof. Not of the elephant pooping. Just me on the elephant. I’m telling you this story because it would be the cornerstone origin story of the Elephant Scouts of America, much like the crazy story of how W.D. Boyce was saved from being lost in London by a “Boy Scout” started the Boy Scouts of America. I like my story better. It involves a pooping elephant and that’s just funnier.
I love this article. My thought is this, for those who believe, homosexuality is a sin, and the BSA is a christian org who upholds those principles. Therefore, children who disobey their parents should not join; anyone who eats pork should not join; any boy who has had a lustful thought should not join and that’s just the boys. Let’s think about adult sins and the leaders. Any leader that is divorce should not be leading; any leader who, also, has had lustful thoughts about someone not his wife should not join; this could go on and on. So I don’t think the argument that homosexuality is a sin and therefore “they” can’t join should be used. There a lots of sins everyday “good and moral” people commit. And according to Jesus’ teachings a sin is a sin, not neccessarily different than another sin.
Christians should be displaying grace, humility and compassion, even for those who don’t follow the teachings of the bible. How do chrisitans look to others when we segregate others from ourselves? Christians, more than anyone, should be teaching love, tolerance and acceptance to those who are different than us. No different than teaching to accept a muslim student in school. You [general you] don’t teach your children that all Muslims are terrorists, do you? So we should, also, not teach that something is “wrong” with a person who presents as homosexual. This is the world we live in. We must learn to navigate through it and all the comes our way, whether its what we believe or not. As someone previsously posted, Jesus hung out with the worse, so why are we [the people] intent on pointing our fingers at the “worse” and saying “you can’t join because xyz…”
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I understand intentions of the article, but it seems you forgot that it’s Christian organisation. You can’t demand from Christians to lose their principles. Being homosexual is a sin, so it’s obvious that they doesn’t allow gays to join Scouts. As long as it stay that way any controversy is pointless.
Thank you for this! I do not believe you gave Christians a bad name at all. I have the same view as you do about Christ. He saw the hated, and embraced them with love. As a Christian AND as a sister whose gay brother hated being in the Boy Scouts (he never felt accepted, and felt very pressured to be someone who he wasn’t), I strive to live like Christ. He called people to come as they are, and the Boy Scouts are saying “Sure, come in, but if you’re gay and you talk about it… we will kick you out”. I’m so sorry your wonderful friend could no longer be in the Boy Scouts, it sounds like he learned a lot and loved being a part of it. I’m sure he still upholds his Eagle Scout standards! I hope that someday they will start letting people be who they are and not kick them out of a club that they love. As for my little brother, it breaks my heart that continually felt unaccepted by his peers and scout leaders. He recalls one scout leader calling him a fruit behind his back. My brother was in 2nd grade, he didn’t realize what it meant but he knew it wasn’t good (seriously, what jerk does that to a little kid?). Luckily, now he has grown up to love himself for who he is, and to me, that is more admirable than anything else.
I agree with you, Cheecha. Regarding Ms. O’Keefe’s statement: “What will happen in ten years when a Cub Scout goes to college and has a gay roommate? What happens when he has a gay coworker? What happens if it turns out, as in the case of my friend, that he is actually gay? Will he be prepared to deal with these quandaries? In today’s world, you have to be able to accept people who are different than you because that’s what the world is: a place where everyone is different from you.” Although I agree and see your point, I believe that is the responsibilty of the parent to teach that, not the Boy Scouts of America.
I understand that you have had a personal experience that has made you passionate about this. And I’m sure your friend IS awesome. And being gay doesn’t make him a “bad” person. But you are condemning a Christian organization for holding to Christian principles. You don’t see the flaw in this logic? Are you going to demand that a mosque host a Jewish co-ed singles dance? No – because that would contradict their beliefs. As long as an organization claims to be Christian, it doesn’t make sense to attack them for…well…being Christian. I don’t support teaching negative things about homosexuals as people, but I also don’t know that that happens in Boy Scouts. Not allowing someone and vilifying him/her are not the same thing.
I was a Boy Scout through middle school and high school and a Cub Scout before then so I met many Eagle Scouts. Some who deserved it; most who didn’t.
While as a whole the BSA bans gays, individual troops allow them in. It’s kind of a “don’t ask, don’t tell” situation when you deal with the local council but the troops don’t have to kick a boy out for it. We never had an openly gay boy in our troop and I don’t know if we had any closeted ones, but we, the boys, discussed it and decided anyone could join regardless of sexual orientation.
We also had atheists, agnostics and a half-Jewish boy.
Technicality: the name of the church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a lot of people like to omit Christ’s name from the name of the church and it leads to a lot of confusion regarding Christian status.
Hey! I am the above things except I’m from Scotland. We got rid of the whole segregation of boys and girls in the scouts a good while ago because the times they were a changing so I don’t see why America are still upholding this whole thing.
I was a cub scout and scout for 7 years of my life and I too am gay also if I didn’t go to Scouts I probably would have pushed back my coming out tenfold because of all the cool people I met.
Being in the scouts is such a great thing and it’s actually kind of sad that Americans aren’t given the chance to join no matter what. I think you SHOULD create your own organisation that is built on the love of the outdoors and meeting/helping new wonderful people instead of being built on all this guff.
Reader of a Gnarly Article, Matthew Burns.
P.S. I am aware you can see my Facebook picture, this is a comedic picture for comedic purposes and in no way should make you think I publicly reenact scenes from Flashdance in shopping center throne rooms.
We live in a country chock full of honest bigotry. People who feel that there is no place in Scouting for others who may not have the same sexual preference as the majority truly feel thay are protecting the young and innocent. In reality they are defying the very concept of what America is all about…equal rights for everyone across the board and freedom of expression.
This article is just amazing! As a Christian who supports gay rights and marriages, I was saddened by the Boy Scouts decision. Gay, straight, bi, whatever, everyone deserves love and respect. I believe, as a culture, we need to spend less time being judgemental, and more time loving others. All this to say, thank you for writing this
Haha “Spiritually Vacant”…yes!!
The sooner people push on these groups to be more dignified and accepting…the better our country will be. For some reason, this makes me think of the horrifying movie “Jesus Camp.”
A+ article.