So, Intel and UPS have now cut their funding to the Boy Scouts of America on the basis that their policies are discriminatory. Namely, they do not allow gay scouts or leaders. I say kudos to Intel and UPS. And I hope every other corporation funding them will follow suit (although I think the LDS church will probably increase their funding because they encourage this kind of behavior). So, I decided to do some Google News searches on BSA and came up with an astonishing (to me, anyway--maybe everyone else has known for a while) revelation.
For decades, the organization has tracked men among its own ranks who have sexually abused the scouts that they work with. (also here) My first reaction to this is incredulity at the hypocrisy and irony of the situation. If a man is honest and admits that he is homosexual, the organization will ban him from service (even just being a volunteer) in their club. But if he pretends to be straight and secretly takes advantages of the boys in his care, he is protected. In this way, the BSA is allowing actual predators to remain in their ranks and removing those who are no real threat to the youth in their care. Isn't this the opposite of what they should be doing? Get rid of the child molesters (whether gay or straight) and keep the ones who are willing to be a positive role model (again, whether gay or straight).
Anyway, I was shocked for another reason. Just a week or two ago, I was emailed an updated code of conduct for my place of employment. As I was reading through it, there was really nothing in there that wasn't common sense to me. Part of the changes were emphasizing that if I were ever to become aware of a colleague or someone else that I work with who is sexually harassing someone else, I am to report it. This was not a surprise to me. I don't need to be told that I should report something like this. If I see injustice happening, I talk about it. If I ever were to encounter someone abusing a minor or harassing another person, I would let them know that's not appropriate, and I would report it. So, why is this a seemingly foreign concept to the BSA? What do they have against booting people in their organization who are preying on the boys in their troops? Personally, I am disgusted.
I'll just be honest, I don't want to have anything to do with this organization. I don't want to promote this kind of activity. I don't want to help out a group who has demonstrated that they think it's okay to stand idly by as children are molested. Even with their anti-gay policy set aside and forgotten, I am thoroughly disgusted by their actions. They may have been acting in their own self-interest, not blowing the whistle because they don't want a scandal on their hands. But, this is far worse than if they had simply released the information when they first obtained it. This makes them enablers to the crime.
The BSA's Director of Public Relations is on record for saying, in regards to the UPS announcement, "These types of contributions go directly to serving young people in local councils and this decision will negatively impact youth." I don't believe that they have the best interest of the youth in mind. They have their own interests in mind. They're sad that they're losing their $80,000 donation. If they actually cared about the youth in their program, they would seek to eliminate the predators in their organization rather than keeping secret all of the information they have concerning them. This organization needs some serious reformation.
For decades, the organization has tracked men among its own ranks who have sexually abused the scouts that they work with. (also here) My first reaction to this is incredulity at the hypocrisy and irony of the situation. If a man is honest and admits that he is homosexual, the organization will ban him from service (even just being a volunteer) in their club. But if he pretends to be straight and secretly takes advantages of the boys in his care, he is protected. In this way, the BSA is allowing actual predators to remain in their ranks and removing those who are no real threat to the youth in their care. Isn't this the opposite of what they should be doing? Get rid of the child molesters (whether gay or straight) and keep the ones who are willing to be a positive role model (again, whether gay or straight).
Anyway, I was shocked for another reason. Just a week or two ago, I was emailed an updated code of conduct for my place of employment. As I was reading through it, there was really nothing in there that wasn't common sense to me. Part of the changes were emphasizing that if I were ever to become aware of a colleague or someone else that I work with who is sexually harassing someone else, I am to report it. This was not a surprise to me. I don't need to be told that I should report something like this. If I see injustice happening, I talk about it. If I ever were to encounter someone abusing a minor or harassing another person, I would let them know that's not appropriate, and I would report it. So, why is this a seemingly foreign concept to the BSA? What do they have against booting people in their organization who are preying on the boys in their troops? Personally, I am disgusted.
I'll just be honest, I don't want to have anything to do with this organization. I don't want to promote this kind of activity. I don't want to help out a group who has demonstrated that they think it's okay to stand idly by as children are molested. Even with their anti-gay policy set aside and forgotten, I am thoroughly disgusted by their actions. They may have been acting in their own self-interest, not blowing the whistle because they don't want a scandal on their hands. But, this is far worse than if they had simply released the information when they first obtained it. This makes them enablers to the crime.
The BSA's Director of Public Relations is on record for saying, in regards to the UPS announcement, "These types of contributions go directly to serving young people in local councils and this decision will negatively impact youth." I don't believe that they have the best interest of the youth in mind. They have their own interests in mind. They're sad that they're losing their $80,000 donation. If they actually cared about the youth in their program, they would seek to eliminate the predators in their organization rather than keeping secret all of the information they have concerning them. This organization needs some serious reformation.
I'm always have a little war in my mind when it comes to the Boy Scout program because I am actually an Eagle Scout myself and had really good experiences growing up in the program. I learn a lot of things but most important I learned leadership and caring for others. Unfortunately, I can not be involved now as an adult since I am openly gay and there is just not point in trying to hide that nor should I have to.
ReplyDeleteThe reality is I could be a great scoutmaster or leader right now if the organization would correct some of its discriminating practices and policies. Maybe one day...but seeing as the LDS Church is one of its largest supporters and produces the most Eagle Scouts of any other church then it might take a while.
I think at this point it might be nice to just create another program for boys to do, but that's unfortunate because there is so many good things about the way the Scouting program is run. Their discrimination policy is about the only thing stopping me from at least being involved somewhat in the program...a program that I spent around 8 years dedicating my life to.
You're right. They could be a good organization. I never did much with scouts when I was a teenager. I went to one or two camps and got a handful of merit badges. It was fun learning how to do outdoorsy kinds of things, and I always like camping. But I never really related to any of the other boys in my troop and felt no great attachment to the organization.
DeleteAt any rate, as I said in my post, even putting aside the anti-gay policy, I cannot support them because they knew about child molesters in their ranks and they did nothing about it. When an adult abuses a child, it is the child not the adult that needs protection. They should not have turned a blind eye to these incidents. They should have expelled the guilty leaders and reported the acts to the authorities. No child should be put through what those victims were put through. No child should ever have to experience what it is like to be molested. And when you find someone who is a predator like that, you should do all in your power to stop them from ever doing it again, not just pretend you didn't notice. That's what I find completely despicable.
"I never did much with scouts when I was a teenager."
DeleteHaha me either. No eagle scout here.
I personally think the BSA is in big trouble because I have this sneaky suspicion the Church is going to drop the BSA stuff after President Monson dies (he is the one that loves scouting) and once they do they will have nothing but the rest of the world hating them. So I think they are in big trouble.
And I agree about the child molestation. I shouldn't stereotype by why a grown man would want to constantly be with young boys (beyond their own sons which every normal father wants to) has always seemed suspicious to me. I want to play with my own young kids and I think that is healthy but if I was infatuated with always playing with kids I have no relation to I think people should be concerned. You know... like the guy with no kids always wanting to be at the playground... Just strange.
Do you really think the church will stop their support? I'd personally be surprised, unless it was because BSA dropped their anti-gay policy and the church stopped support because of that.
DeleteWell I don't know for sure but my Mission President said he sat on a council planning the BSA replacement program. He said portions of that program have trickled into the new Duty of God stuff but that the Church was working on a potential full scale replacement.
DeleteSo I really don't know for sure but I have reasons to believe they will eventually.
But you make great points about the abuse.