‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Applies Here

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on a case that could determine whether the Boy Scouts of America has a constitutional right to exclude gays from its organization. The issue arose as a result of a New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that the Boy Scouts’ ban on gays is illegal under that state’s anti-discrimination law. The Boy Scouts appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that forcing the organization to accept gays violates the organization’s 1st Amendment rights and conflicts with the credo that Scouts should be “morally straight.” Atheists and others who do not agree with the Scouts’ moral code would also be effected. MAURA E. MONTELLANO spoke with a leader of a Christian-based ministry in Orange County, and also with the mother of two Scouts.

HEIDI SNIVELY

Mother of two Scouts; Manhattan Beach

The Boy Scouts is a public organization and its focus is outreach. Since it is an outreach organization that tries to bring in as many people as possible, why exclude this one group?

I don’t think the Boy Scouts has a constitutional right to exclude gays because they do not fit with the Scouts’ moral code. They are operating on lack of knowledge of what it means to be a homosexual. They think that gays are sexual predators. I can’t see how they say someone whom is gay doesn’t have any morals, just because they don’t agree with the lifestyle. That doesn’t go hand in hand. My friends who are gay probably have better morals than I do sometimes. It has nothing to do with who you sleep with.

At the beginning of the Scout handbook, there is a parent section that warns about inappropriate touching that offended me as a parent. I think that is something parents should handle, that shouldn’t be in this handbook. Perhaps it’s a liability issue on the Scouts’ part. But why should it be? Adults come into contact with children in other situations every day. Why do the Scouts, in particular, feel the need to warn of situations like this? Do teachers have to do this? Do coaches have to do this?

We signed our kids up for sports and there were no disclaimers to sign that warned of sickos. Has Scouting had its fair share of suspicious instances with this kind of behavior that it feels the need to warn about this? Personally, I feel very safe having my children in this organization.

I can’t imagine why they would be afraid to have gay Scout leaders. They must have fear of something, but what? Do they think the adults are going to try to make a move on these kids? Are they afraid that if the leader shares that he or she is gay that the child will question their own sexuality? Are they afraid that their son or daughter is having doubts of their own sexuality, as most adolescents do, and seeing someone they respect handling being gay in a mature and responsible manner, want to experiment? Maybe some parents don’t want their children being perceived as gay. This is not about pedophiles. For some reason, the homophobic public fears gay men, perceives them as sexual predators.

I definitely believe that “don’t ask, don’t tell” applies here. What someone does in the bedroom is of no concern to me. As I wouldn’t want a straight Scout master talking about his sexual conquests, I would not tolerate that of a gay Scout master. But I don’t believe that should it be discovered that someone is gay, that becomes grounds for dismissal or not being allowed into the organization in the first place.