GAY RIGHTS

Boy Scouts Will Vote to End Ban on Gay Members & Leaders

The ban could be lifted as soon as next week

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Jan 28, 2013 by Mary Noble

Senior Editor t

Image: AP

The Boy Scouts of America could allow gay members and troop leaders as early as next week, according to USA Today.

The announcement is a stunning reversal of the policy set in 2012, which reaffirmed a decades-long ban on openly gay members. Since then, a petition to reverse the policy has been signed 1.2 million times at Change.org.

The new gay-friendly ruling needs approval from the national board, which meets next week.

The policy won't dictate that all scouting groups should receive gay members. Rather, it will allow the Boy Scouts' 290 local councils and other sponsoring groups to set their own policy.

Via USA Today.
Posted 12:55pm PST.

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Jan '13

PNWest

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I gotta feeling that this story is going to make Neo very, very sad.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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is there a Canadian branch of the boy scouts?
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Jan '13

PNWest

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@woodtick57 They have one up there but more bad news for Neo, not only do they have gun control and socialized medicine but they too allow gays in the Canadian Boy Scouts.
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Jan '13

stepped_in_it

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@PNWest Neo's gonna be sad X 3. Nobody ask Mrs._nthematrix if Neo can come out to play.....he'll bum out the rest of us!
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Jan '13

PNWest

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@stepped_in_it I'm sure he will come out soon. It wouldn't be the same here without Neo.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@stepped_in_it

it is usually those that wave the flag the most that use it as a wet blanket the most....
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Jan '13

DARSB

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A good decision - bound to annoy Tony Perkins and Bryan Fisher, and those are both deserving gents who will fundraise the hell out of this.
- B4 • Vote Up r5 Replies
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Jan '13

frigginhell

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I think it was a decision born of necessity. Once they banned all the gay scout masters it turned out they only had 51 scoutmasters nationwide 24 of which it turned out were pedophiles. Don't worry, the pedophiles were all removed and returned safely to the clergy.
I was in 4-H, even at ten who wanted to hang out with nothing but other guys. We had chicks. Also, we had cows, sheep and GIRLS.
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Post @frigginhell
Jan '13

stepped_in_it

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@frigginhell Ahh, the study of animal husbandry......so country of you. LOL
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@frigginhell

some guys like to roll in the hay with girls, some like to sleep in pup tents with other guys...we don't judge here..
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Jan '13

stepped_in_it

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@woodtick57 I know I shouldn't ask or you should tell......pup tents need their own poles or ??? ;-)
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@stepped_in_it

some guys use extensions...not the real scouts...
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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Seems the entire nation is entering the 21st century on this issue.
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Jan '13

stepped_in_it

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Welcome to the 21st century. While I have no dog in this pony show, I'm glad all boys can now include their father, whether it be 1 or 2.....male or female! My thoughts are some, at best, a conservative quantity, will have a problem. Too bad they missed the 1999 party!
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Jan '13

stepped_in_it

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Oh....hey boy scouts, where's the girl scout cookies....wanting a somoa real bad!
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Jan '13

equalityboy81

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I'm glad that it may be possible now that no gay, bisexual, transgender, or child questioning or struggling with their sexuality is in danger any longer of being kicked out of the Boy Scouts. Thank God!
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Post @equalityboy81
Jan '13

jmann88

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Gonna be called scouting boys now.
- B4 • Vote Up r12 Replies
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Jan '13

GmanGSW

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Read my write up right after yours. I shoulda added your comment!
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Jan '13

ST_Louie_Sue

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No doubt. Sad sad day for the BSA. I am so glad my sons never had to deal with this and that my grandson is into hockey, not Scouts. It will be interesting to see how many boys drop out of the Scouts and how many donations will be lost. Sickening any way you look at it. That is if you're a normal person.
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Jan '13

metre

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@ST_Louie_Sue LOL I WAS a Boy Scout, DO play hockey, AND I'm gay (as are many more than you would guess of the guys that play hockey they just don't admit it!) LOL
Just because I am sexually attracted to guys and not women does NOT make me less of a man or less masculine! Your idea of what a "gay" man is all about is about a century or so out of date. Sorry for you... and your sons/grandson.
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Jan '13
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Jan '13
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Jan '13

GmanGSW

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I am very saddened. The military involved adults with other adults, but with gay male adults in charge of male children? Not that gays are more likely to be pedephiles, I hope that they are monitored more closely, at least in the first decade(?), than left on their own. Actually, as long as they have no criminal record, maybe I should have put "meh." Then again, I think of the Catholic Church...
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Jan '13

Cheenoguy

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Or think of the Boy Scouts who have been having the same problem with pedophilia as the Catholic Church. Turns out their bigotry was not about protecting children.
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Jan '13

Lonesomedove51

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One of our last moral stands decaying in front of our eyes....pathetic!
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Jan '13

PNWest

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One less thing you can discriminate against...Wonderful!
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Jan '13

GmanGSW

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Saddening... Kinda reminds me of what the govt is trying to do re our 2nd amendment right(s), but with certain people's children... Wait, doesn't that sound familiar? Something about "protecting" our children?
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Jan '13

Lonesomedove51

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PNWest either doesnt have children or doesnt give a dayum about ours!
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@GmanGSW

protect them from what? the real world?
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Jan '13

PNWest

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@Lonesomedove51 PNWest wants your children to grow up to be good educated, healthy, hardworking non-discriminating adults.
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Jan '13

Knightkore

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Interesting....seems as though the devil is in the details....
It isn't for ALL boy scouts....just for this 290....
Giving each boy scout group the ability to choose....
I like this approach....
Because it gives due consideration to freedom of conscience....
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Jan '13
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Jan '13
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Jan '13
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Jan '13

bsking

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Yeah just imagine the new badges that are possible ;-)
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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Like braiding leather to make a lanyard?
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Jan '13

jmann88

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Haha I posted up one new possible badge but I figured it touched a nerve with the MOD so funny how touchy some things can get sense it got removed. Owell in the end everybody will have to pay a price.
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Post @jmann88
Jan '13

jmann88

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@woodtick57 nope probably knitting and proper fingernail grooming.
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Jan '13

bsking

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@jmann88 well yeah but that would all fall under the new hygene badge.
But there's lots of possibilities. like color coordination for seasonal outfits.
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Jan '13

jmann88

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@bsking or maybe a dont ask don't tale badge
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Jan '13

Thegrif

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What!?
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Jan '13

bsking

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You know merit badges...marksmanship... archery....
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Jan '13

JustTheFacts

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Maybe while were at it to not offend the pedophiles out there ... we can allow Jerry Sandusky to be a scout leader since we have to be tolerate of every sick-ass lifestyle these days!
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Jan '13

Jet_Silverman

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There is nothing wrong with homosexuality.
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Jan '13

Libertyiskey

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Family members are the ones who are pedophiles/child molestors the majority of the time in child molestation cases. Equating gay people with pedophiles is ridiculous and less accurate than equating family members with pedophiles which is just as ludicrous as a claim...
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Post @Libertyiskey
Jan '13

mimi57

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I had four sons, never, not ever, would I have put them in a situation where they could be 'indoctrinated' into the 'gay' lifestyle. My sons who are all straight, actually
thanked me foe keeping them safe and not exposing them to compromising situations. The Boy Scouts should have a 'Gay' branch. They are segregated in prisons, and they should be segregated as innocent kids! I would never support this!
- B8 • Vote Up r15 Replies
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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Silly mimi...people cannot be indoctrinated into being gay, and it is not a lifestyle at all...

is that the kind of crap you taught your kids? yikes!
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Post @woodtick57
Jan '13

mimi57

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@woodtick57 I will not get into an endless, pointless argument with you...no one is
sure yet what makes people gay, they do not know. So, if YOU do, please inform all
the people still studying what the cause of homosexuality is..Please do, they'd love to know! My kids are all very succesful and hetero, which is an easier, less complicated life, and preferred by most, as any gay person will attest to.
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Jan '13

Jet_Silverman

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What could someone have said to you while you were growing up that would have made you decide to be gay?
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@mimi57 You did not make you kids hetero, mimi...

they were that way naturally, just like gay kids are that way naturally.

Could you have been 'turned gay'?
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Post @woodtick57
Jan '13

DerivePI

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@mimi57 - we do not fully know why males choose to have sex with other males, but we do know that it is not predominantly genetic. Of note, gay men all have a 'y' chromosome.

http://current.com/community/89099881_we-are-...
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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what are those scouts doing to that flag?

Is that a bedazzler in their hands?!?!
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Jan '13
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Jan '13

AlexMIA

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I was a boy scout and so was my son. When I was one, I did it without parental participation. I never had a problem but if I would have there would have been one bloody member or leader. When my son was one, I became a leader, anything scouting he did I was present. Scouts are not a day care organization, and sorry but I look down upon anyone who thinks it is, including my father! That being said, I don't think it is a problem and well supervised kids shouldn't be in danger anyway.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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And of course, you had and all the others that had a great, hassle free experience had gay scouts in your group, and gay leaders. it would be statistically impossible for that to not happen.
thanx for showing that having gays in the scouts won't be a problem through yoru real world example...
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Post @woodtick57
Jan '13

AlexMIA

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@woodtick57 If we did, and I'm sure we did, I wouldn't know, none of my business unless someone told me or my son so and so. If they told my son it would be a problem though.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@AlexMIA

why would it be a problem if someone told your son they were gay? seems like it would only be a problem for you...
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Jan '13

AlexMIA

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@woodtick57 Because a 10 yr old has no business learning what that is when I still haven't finished fully explain what hetro sexual relations are. It's not their place! Plus I'd be question the entire reason as to why they'de be talking to my son that way. I find it disturbing that you had to ask that question, or that you couldn't rationalize this answer on your own.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@AlexMIA

seriously? at 10 and still not thinking about girls? hmm....
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Jan '13

whataGOVwehave

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Not more boy scouting
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Jan '13
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Jan '13

Dan_Tien

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Now they should merge the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts into just the Scouts, remove all references to "reverence" and "God and my country", forget about learning orienteering, knot-tying or any other wilderness survival skills and just concentrate on SEX!!!
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