Gay Scoutmaster Refuses To Step Down
BY JOSH ISRAEL ON APRIL 7, 2014 AT 9:52 AM
Last year, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) lifted its ban on openly gay youth — but reaffirmed its ban on openly LGBT adults serving as volunteers or professionals in the organization. But one Scoutmaster and his troop’s church sponsor are standing up to the policy.
After NBC News contacted the local Boy Scout council about McGrath, it and the national organization moved to reject him. Sharon Moulds, council executive for the Chief Seattle Council, told the network, “It was then that we became aware of his intentions to make a public statement about his orientation and use our program as a means to further a personal agenda.” In a blog post defending last year’s policy change regarding gay youth, she wrote, “This has been a distraction for a long time. It is now time to get back to delivering the programs that our youth have been promised.” But instead, the council alerted the national office, which in turn announced that McGrath would be removed.
Deron Smith, spokesman for the BSA, told NBC that the organization’s policy is not to ask people about their sexual orientation, but that by his comments to NBC News, McGrath had now “deliberately injected it into Scouting in an inappropriate fashion.” As such, Smith added, “We spoke with Mr. McGrath today and based on the information he provided, the National Council has revoked his registration.”
That might have been the end of the story — the BSA is a private organization with the legal right to discriminate if it so chooses — but his troop and others have rallied to McGrath’s defense. Tens of thousands have signed a Scouts for Equality Change.org petition urging Washington-based Amazon.com to end its financial support of the organization until the ban is lifted.
more
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2014/04/07/3423499/boy-scout-leader-stands-up/
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