Boy Scouts Showing Lack of Leadership

When the Boy Scouts of America doubled down on their policies to discriminate against gay scouts and leaders, I announced I was going to turn in my Eagle Scout awards.

The decision wasn’t made lightly. Scouts helped give me the confidence and independence to travel around the world alone as an author and journalist gathering stories. But Scouts also gave me the moral compass to stand up and act against injustice.

I promised my former troop leader that I would call Boy Scouts Of America’s national office to talk with them about how they reached their decision before I made my final decision to mail my awards.

That call went something like this:

“My name is Kelsey Timmerman. I’m an Eagle Scout. I promised my former scout leader that I would talk to someone at your office about your policy regarding gay scouts and leaders before turning in my Eagle Award.”

“Hold, Please.”

“Hello,” the man on the other end answered with a sigh.

I told him about my promise and that I wanted to have a conversation and better understand their decision.

“You can send your badge to–”

“No…No…that’s not why I called,” I said, “I want to have an actual conversation about this.”

He sighed and proceeded to tell me that an unelected board made up of undisclosed individuals based their decision on a study that found parents were against gays in scouting.

“Can you send me the study?” I asked.

“No,” he said. “It’s not available to the public.”

“How many parents were surveyed?”

“Can’t tell you.”

“How were the questions worded?”

“Can’t tell you.”

“How were the survey subjects selected?”

“Can’t tell you.”

“Let me get this right, a mystery board based their decision to discriminate against an entire group of people on a mystery study?” I asked, as respectfully as I could.

Click.

When I called Boy Scouts of America, an organization that prides itself on molding leaders, to have a conversation about the Boy Scouts anti-gay policies, I got hung up on.

That’s not leadership.

Scouting’s discriminatory stance bothered me for two reasons: 1) It was morally wrong; 2) I feared that the decision would harm an organization that meant so much to me.

While people can debate the first point–as I did on Talk of the Nation–there’s no doubt that I was right about the second point. Corporations and individuals have been distancing themselves from Scouts since July when they made the announcement that gays were still not allowed.

Not only did I send in my Eagle awards, I sent in cards that friends and family had given me at my court of honor, plaques, certificates signed by Senators, and one signed by President Clinton. I sent them pictures of my fellow scouts and me on top of mountains. When they opened my package, I wanted them to feel what scouting meant to me–the dedication, the accomplishment, the adventure.

When I heard the news about BSA’s possible shift to not have an official policy discriminating against gay scouts and leaders, I was pumped. I believe that anyone can benefit from the lessons and skills gained through the scouting experience. But then I read beyond the tweets and the headlines to the official Scout statement:

“The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue. The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs.”

This isn’t a firm statement saying, “We believe discrimination is wrong and has no place in scouting.” This is a statement about a discussion that could possibly lead to a shift in their position. This isn’t brave (one of the twelve scout laws) leadership to do what’s right. This is following your fears.

Discrimination is a slippery slope. If we don’t let gays into scouting, who else won’t we let in? What races? What religions? Boys with dogs? Men with toupees? Men and boys with dogs with toupees?

I would love my son, Griffin, to become a scout when he’s old enough. But I don’t want to have to ask the local troop what groups they discriminate against before allowing him to join.

Not having a “no discrimination” policy is having a policy of discrimination.

BSA isn’t leading the way on this discussion; they are removing themselves from it. This is hanging up the phone on a conversation and allowing discrimination to continue at the troop level.

This is not leadership.

 
13 comments
Gary Hyslop says:

Not leadership, indeed. This is just a way to say that they “don’t discriminate” while dodging any responsibility. Lame.

Stinger Contos says:

I at first thought that, like you did Kels, that the will of the people had gotten the BSA to see the light. Wrong again, Stinger! This is even less workable than “Don’t ask, don’t tell” was for the military, and we know how that turned out! BOOM!

Loretta Moore-Sutherland says:

This statement from the Boy Scouts has some issues! Who else “oversees” the troops besides BSA? Scouting might be “delivered” via schools or churches or even in people’s homes, but they do not make the rules nor do I imagine that they want to get involved in the “fine print” of Boy Scouting. That is the job of BSA. When will BSA realize that gay men are NOT child molesters?

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