The city of Philadelphia has apparently decided that the issue of homosexuality is more important than the welfare of some 64,000 mostly inner-city boys. The city has notified the local Boy Scout council that it will lose the building that the council has occupied since 1928 unless they change a policy – put in place by the national council – against hiring gays. The local council is caught between a rock and no place at all.
Citing a local 1982 "fair practices" law, the city solicitor has given the Scouts until Dec. 3 to renounce its policy of excluding homosexuals or forfeit the grand, Beaux-Arts building it has rented from the city for $1 a year since 1928.
"While we respect the right of the Boy Scouts to prohibit participation in its activities by homosexuals," the solicitor, Romulo Diaz, said last week in an interview, "we will not subsidize that discrimination by passing on the costs to the people of Philadelphia."
The city has yet to complete an official assessment of the property. But it has tentatively placed the market value at $200,000 a year and has invited the Boy Scouts to remain in the nearly 100-year-old building as paying tenants.
The confrontation between the city and the nation's third-largest Scouts chapter has been building for four years, with each side blaming the other for backing out of previous agreements and for escalating tensions.
The local branch, which operates as the Cradle of Liberty Council, tried to skirt the bylaw in 2004 by issuing a four-line statement, which concluded: "Prejudice, intolerance and unlawful discrimination in any form are unacceptable within the ranks of Cradle of Liberty Council."
The statement satisfied the city until gay rights groups worried that "unlawful discrimination" gave the chapter cover to continue the anti-homosexual hiring practices of the Boy Scouts of America.
Funny how the mantra "it's for the children" gets kicked loose when that interferes with other agendas. The Boy Scouts are a private organization and have a Supreme Court decision affording them the right to bar homosexuals. The city is attempted to override that decision – on a local council – in defiance of Federal laws as well.
The Supreme Court ruled seven years ago that the national Boy Scouts, as a private organization, had the right to exclude homosexuals from its ranks. The Boy Scouts also prohibit atheists and agnostics from employment on the grounds that such beliefs are inconsistent with the values of the country's largest youth organization. Two years ago, Congress passed the Support Our Scouts Act to protect chapters from local government attempts to strip them of access to public facilities in response to the anti-homosexual policy.
Again, the local council serves mostly inner-city boys – about 64,000 of them. The city may be able to pat themselves on the back over their stand, but will they be able to look those kids in the eye? Philadelphia is experiencing a rise in violent street crime lately. Any organization that can help divert kids from crime should be encouraged – not driven out. This is an ill-advised fight that the city should not have picked.
As a former Cub Scout, Boy Scout and Explorer I can understand why the organization doesn’t allow gays to be employees. Unfortunately, this is a position that has been forced on the organization by past experience. As much as anyone (the liberals who scream about discrimination) hates to admit it, the Boy Scouts have been burned repeatedly in the past by gay pedophiles that took positions both as Scouting professionals and as volunteer troop leaders. A large part of the Scouting experience is that the safety and security of boys from the ages of 8 to 18 is entrusted to these scout leaders. Pedophiles have taken advantage of this unique position of trust many times.
While most people do understand that the pedophiles are a very small minority of gay men and that most gay men would never consider touching a child, there is no way for the organization to tell which is which. The Boy Scout organization accepts the responsibility for the safety of the boys entrusted to their care. They are the ones who must face the parents when something bad happens to a child in their care. As a parent I just can’t bring myself to blame them for taking that extra precaution.
The Boy Scouts should vacate the City property and get a new office. It is a council not without means and could get a better office space. It is, as I understand, being told to toe the line by the national organization.
Less well off councils require the cooperation of the local school board to make space available. Being kicked out of Philadelphia’s office would, in their eyes, hurt that.
Instead what the Boy Scouts must do is completely pull out of public spaces. This will negate all the law suits they must face.
I think the National leadership is afraid of asking it’s tens of thousands of volunteers to find a new home. Let’s face it, the Boy Scouts are antithetical to a growing body of Americans who never saw this:
Scout Oath (or Promise)
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.
Scout Law
TRUSTWORTHY
A Scout tells the truth. He keeps his promises. Honesty is part of his code of conduct. People can depend on him.
LOYAL
A Scout is true to his family, Scout leaders, friends, school, and nation.
HELPFUL
A Scout is concerned about other people. He does things willingly for others without pay or reward.
FRIENDLY
A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other Scouts. He seeks to understand others. He respects those with ideas and customs other than his own.
COURTEOUS
A Scout is polite to everyone regardless of age or position. He knows good manners make it easier for people to get along together.
KIND
A Scout understands there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants to be treated. He does not hurt or kill harmless things without reason.
OBEDIENT
A Scout follows the rules of his family, school, and troop. He obeys the laws of his community and country. If he thinks these rules and laws are unfair, he tries to have them changed in an orderly manner rather than disobey them.
CHEERFUL
A Scout looks for the bright side of things. He cheerfully does tasks that come his way. He tries to make others happy.
THRIFTY
A Scout works to pay his way and to help others. He saves for unforeseen needs. He protects and conserves natural resources. He carefully uses time and property.
BRAVE
A Scout can face danger even if he is afraid. He has the courage to stand for what he thinks is right even if others laugh at or threaten him.
CLEAN
A Scout keeps his body and mind fit and clean. He goes around with those who believe in living by these same ideals. He helps keep his home and community clean.
REVERENT
A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.
The Boy Scouts are a private organization…
Thus, they should raise their money “privately”- and rent their property at “market rate”.
End of Story…
Should the city also be expected to offer the same terms to any other organization– NORML, NAMBLA, NRA, DNR, ACLU, PETA, MECHA, etc., ad nauseum?