Boy Scouts of America has chosen to try taking a middle path by allowing gay scouts but barring gay scout leaders. They are trying to please everyone here; they should either open their doors to gays entirely, in both membership and in leadership positions or continue to ban all openly gay people. What message is the organization sending to the gay scout; he is accepted in the ranks but once he reaches 18, it is all over with and suddenly he is banned from the organization he belonged to as a child?
The Boys Scouts' decision to continue to ban out-of-the-closet gay men and women in leadership positions is out of a kind of ignorance that someone who accepts who they are and does not mind that the world knows that they are gay, is not to be trusted with children. It would then be fine for someone who may not be gay but is attracted to children - just as long as the individual does not say anything about that attraction - to become a leader of young boys.
What this means is that someone like perhaps Jerry Sandusky, before he was arrested for molesting young boys, would have been a model citizen as he was a dad, a coach, and would be the perfect picture of an outstanding candidate to become a scout leader. On the other hand, Ellen DeGeneres, openly gay TV talk show host, would be banned from being a den mother, just because she is open about her gayness. I also apologize to Ellen for using her as a hypothetical example, especially comparing her to the likes of Jerry Sandusky, but then it is as night is from day.
This all comes from the idea that gay people have an agenda to recruit others, especially children. There is no such agenda and it is ludicrous to think that gay people would want any child to grow up to be gay like them. My own experience has been horrific as a gay man growing up and I do not wish that upon anyone, though fortunately things are now changing for younger gay people. The same principles that straight people have concerning children is the same principles that gay people have concerning children.
I understand the Boys Scouts are under a lot of pressure from many of the churches that host Boys Scouts chapters and anti-gay organizations. However, the organization cannot ride the fence on this issue; either accept gays entirely or continue to ban gays. A house divided will not stand. The question will always be; does the Boys Scouts of America actually accept gay boy scouts even when they still cannot accept gay moms and dads?
Someone's sexual orientation has nothing to do with his or her moral ethics and behavior. Perhaps the Boys Scouts should focus their efforts to block possible pedophiles from leadership positions by judging exclusively on someone's behavior and moral decency instead of their sexual orientation. Statistics say that a family member is more likely to molest a child than a gay person. In 269 cases of child molestation, only two of the offenders were gay.
Perhaps someday the Boys Scouts of America will open their understanding and their doors to anyone who loves children enough not to ever hurt them, including gay people. Just because being gay is about sexual orientation, does not mean that we have no moral values. Many LGBT members have children of their own and are wonderful parents. The gay parents I have known, and there have been many, their children seem to turn out heterosexual as much as the straight parents I have known. That is only my observation but I do know that kids raised by same-sex couples thrive in education the same as kids raised by heterosexual couples.
Any myths that gay people are a danger to children in any way, is easily disproved once an organization like the Boys Scouts does completely open their doors to gay LGBT members. This was the Boys Scouts of America's chance to step up and instead they have taken a half step, which will surely cause them to trip and fall. However, as all things, only time will tell.
This is a republish from my website: Fidlerten Place