As we're all aware, the Boy Scouts of America tries to pretend that LGBT people aren't morally straight. That's the entire basis for keeping us out of scouting. Well, I have news for them: There's a long list of straight people who've been involved in scouting who are not morally straight. Here a few examples.
- Dennis Rader, also known as the BTK (bind, torture, kill) killer, was a Boy Scout leader, yet he tortured and killed women for years.
A side note: The Boy Scouts of America is technically a private organization, but, like the Red Cross, Fannie Mae and the United States Olympic Committee, it was granted a charter by Congress. Backed up by this charter, and with the president of the United States as the honorary president of the organization, the Boy Scouts of America enjoys a special status in our society. The charter is also the basis of a muscular intellectual property approach used to "protect the brand." The Boy Scouts of America have registered dozens of exclusive trademarks, including "Be Prepared," "Scoutmaster," "Merit Badge" and "Scouting." Unlike countries like France and Germany, which have a variety of scouting programs with different membership rules, there is only one brand of Boy Scout in America. This means that the Boy Scouts can have it both ways: They enjoy a government-sponsored monopoly and, like a private club, they get to discriminate against gays and atheists.
The Boy Scouts of America will vote on this matter this week, so please let your opinion be heard! Go to glaad.org/scouts to see what you can do.