Recently, the Boy Scouts of America have been surrounded by controversy over their policy concerning homosexuals in the organization. On Feb. 6, the decision whether or not to allow gays and lesbians to participate in Boy Scouts was postponed until May. Many, including President Obama, had voiced their support for homosexuals in the organization and had hoped that the decision would have been made that Wednesday. History teacher Nancy Lowrey has deep roots in scouting, and she believes that there needs to be a change in policy.
“With homosexuality, it’s this image, this stereotype, this perception, that if a homosexual scout master who is out camping with a group of boys, it’s a risk because he might be molesting the boys. Most pedophiles are not homosexual, but there is this stigma that you can’t have these homosexuals, or possibly, not even the sexual part of it, but they might be influencing these young boys,” Lowrey said.
The Boy Scouts were established over 100 years ago, and they have been known to stick to traditional values.
“It’s traditionally a very conservative organization, and a good organization. I firmly believe in the Boy Scouts of America, but I also firmly believe it’s time to drag themselves into the twenty-first century. Why should a child be denied access to this really awesome, wonderful organization based on his real or perceived sexual identity?” Lowrey said.
Lowrey also believes that the decision may split those who support and oppose the decision.
“St. Louis already has two Boy Scout Organizations. One is called the Boy Scouts of America, and the other is called the Baden-Powell Scouts of America. The Baden-Powell Scouts of America is not a nationally sanctioned organization, but it’s those people who believe in homosexual rights in the scouting organization. Would there be a split? This is just my conjecturing here, but possibly. This could split them from the traditional scouters who oppose gays and lesbians,” Lowrey said.
As society has changed over the 100 years since the Boy Scouts were established, many believe the organization should tweak its values as well.
“Times have changed, and as society’s values change, even organizations as awesome as the Boy Scouts of America have struggled to catch up, in my humble opinion,” Lowrey said. “Laws come from the values of society. Things that are legal now certainly wouldn’t be legal twenty years ago, and vice versa. Values change.”
Controversy will surround the organization regardless of their decision.
“Do I think the Boy Scouts will change if they accept this permanently? Yes. Will they lose members? Yes. Will they gain members? Yes. They’ll lose and gain members whether or not the change is accepted. However, I think that if they exclude gays and lesbians from the Boy Scouts, the organization would ultimately lose a lot,” Lowrey said.
Many young men that have put in years of hard work have been denied their rewards because of their sexuality.
“There was an article that came out about a kid who did all the work, earned the merit badges, did the service work, and worked toward being an Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouts, but he was denied receiving his Eagle because he was gay, and I have a real problem with that. I have a real problem with that,” Lowrey said. “The kid did it, let him get it.”
Some of the other scouts supporting their homosexual peers have made huge sacrifices as well.
“I’ve also heard that some people who have earned their Eagle badges have given them back to the Boy Scouts of America saying they didn’t feel right about getting the honor when other people couldn’t,” sophomore Boy Scout Ryan Priesmeyer said. “It’s not fair to deny a child who did nothing wrong from achieving an honor they worked hard for.”
Technically, homosexuality is not explicitly banned from the Boy Scouts organization.
“I once looked up the sexuality part of [the Boy Scout’s handbook from 1956] out of curiosity, and the only thing it says is ‘These are questions best asked to your pastor or your father.’ So nothing in there says ‘you can’t be this, you can’t be that, if you are this you can’t be a scout,’ “Lowrey said. “Nothing in the handbook explicitly states anything about sexual orientation. It’s an unwritten tradition,” Priesmeyer said.
The decision to allow gays and lesbians in the Boy Scouts of America would also be a huge step forward for gay rights.
“This would be a major boost for the gay rights movement, especially the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD),” Lowrey said.
