Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell for Boys

When I think of Boy Scouts, I think of little adorable boys. I don’t think about them growing up and being denied the Eagle award because of their sexual orientation. I read an article last month about a young man who had been in the Boy Scouts since he was 6 years old. He did everything he needed to do in order to be an Eagle Scout but he was denied that status because he was gay and homosexuality is not allowed by the Boy Scouts. The irony of it all was that the young man’s final project was a Tolerance Wall. I read the story and I thought it was sad, but I moved on to other things and almost forgot about it. Then today, I read that UPS is pulling funding from the Boy Scouts because the Boy Scouts are anti-gay. I read comments where people were calling the Boy Scouts a hate group. In my mind, it’s hard for me to reconcile the idea of the Boy Scouts and hate groups. When I think of hate groups, I think of groups like the KKK because it’s an obvious target. I don’t think of the Boy Scouts. 

The Boy Scouts do so much good that it is hard for me to contrast that with the idea that a gay young man is only officially welcomed in to the organization if he pretends to be straight. I get that they aren’t saying that, but actions speak louder than words. If the 17 year old hadn’t come out of the closet, he would have received the approval he needed in order to be an Eagle Scout. 

I understand that it is their official policy, but what happens to the other children like this young man who join the Cub Scouts at a young age, well before they know what it means to be gay, then grow up in the organization and transition to the Boy Scouts only to later be told that they are not following the laws of the organization? This is one time where I wish people would do what they do in movies: if the Boy Scouts don’t want to welcome all young men, then someone needs to start an organization that does welcome all young men.