Adult membership policy threatens bsa’s longevity

as if it wasn’t already clear, the recent decision by the supreme court concerning marriage equality for same-sex couples indicates that america is slowly but steadily headed for a culture of tolerance toward the lesbian gay bisexual transgender ( lgbt ) community. that spells trouble for groups that practice discrimination among their members – including the boy scouts of america ( bsa ).

a usa today poll following the court’s decisions on the defense of marriage act and california’s proposition 8 shows that a record majority of americans – 55 percent – now support marriage equality, versus 40 percent who oppose it, according to a juli 1, 2013 article by susan page on usatoday. com. driven largely by the fact that 66 percent of “millennials” favor same-sex marriage, according to a 2013 pew research center poll, this tren is likely to continue.

as the majority becomes more welcoming of the lgbt community, groups that practice discrimination will play an increasingly smaller role in society. as an eagle scout, i worry about the fate of the boy scouts of america, an organization very important to me, because they still fall under this category of “discriminatory groups. ” i know firsthand the good that this organization can bring about, but its ability to carry out its mission in the future will be hampered if it doesn’t change its discriminatory policies concerning adult membership in the organization.

for those who don’t already know, on may 23, 2013, the voting membership of the bsa’s national council voted to remove the organization’s restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone. however, the ban on non-heterosexual adults was not up for discussion at the time of the vote, and it remains in place today.

while the end of the ban on non-heterosexual youths is a huge milestone, the fact that the bsa maintains a ban on non-heterosexual adults from the program remains problematic for the group’s longterm relevancy.

for one thing, there’s a monetary issue – this policy is hurting the organization’s bottom line. since the lifting of the ban on non-heterosexual youth, at least two united way chapters and the charitable arm of caterpillar, inc. have ended support for the bsa due to their adult membership policies, according to articles on the websites for the daily item, wktv utica, and the chicago tribune, respectively. as public opinion on lgbt issues continues to shift, more sponsorships may be lost, potentially jeopardizing the organization’s financial security.

more importantly, the bsa’s adult membership policy seemingly validates a worldview that is quickly losing ground to more tolerant opinions ; by affirming its stance that non-heterosexual adults are somehow unfit for service in the program, the bsa is telling gay youth that there is something wrong with them.

so what if they have been involved in the program since the first grade ? so what if they earned the rank of eagle ? this policy makes it clear that when they turn 18, they are unwelcome.

the fact that the ban on non-heterosexual adults remains in place seems to suggest that the bsa is not ready to ask itself the question at the heart of the debate : is discrimination based on sexual orientation morally justifiable ? millions of americans are now asking themselves the same question, and the majority appears to be answering “no. ” if the organization fails to re-assess its morals soon, it will find itself on the wrong side of that majority.

just as no youth is denied, on the basis of his sexual orientation alone, the opportunity to be a scout, no adult should be denied the opportunity to pass on his or her life experience to youth through the scouting program. if the policy banning certain adult members is maintained, the bsa will find itself on the wrong side of history, as tolerant citizens find other youth organizations for their children to join.

there is hope. the vote to end the ban on non-heterosexual youth was a result of intense lobbying from the scouting community and the general public. while there are currently no plans to review the adult membership policy, perhaps another campaign could encourage a debate among the national organization’s members.

if you want equality in the scouting movement, please contact the bsa and tell them that you disagree with their ban on non-heterosexual adults. the future of the organization may depend on it.