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It was only in 2000 that the BSA won in the US Supreme Court, and one would have thought that BSA's right to
continue to discriminate on the grounds of both religious belief and sexual orientation would have been settled. As can be seen below, BSA's declaration that they're a "private religious youth organization," with the constitutional right
to freely discriminate on whatever grounds they see fit, has only spawned more legal and other problems for BSA.
For much of 2010 the owner of this web site has been involved in moving his residence, taking care of the
kids during the summer break, and getting the kids back to school this Fall. Consequently, the site has not been updated for much of 2010. Below are new articles/incidents since the last update in November 2009.
 November 2010 Mother of Scout challenges the notion that the BSA supports "Family Values." The web site received an e-mail from the mother of a Boy Scout and wife of a volunteer Scout
leader. Her direct experience with the BSA has convinced her that the BSA does "not really care about family values, as I have realized too late." For her story, click here.
- October 2010
Bullying of LGBTQ Youth leads to Suicide. This web site would be seriously remiss if it failed to report on the recent spate of suicides of LGBTQ youth. To date, the public has been
informed of the suicide of at least seven youth within the last five weeks across this country. Of course, these are the ones that have been reported. This number does not include those that never make
the papers, or the suicide victim never lets his/her family know the reason, or the family and community covers up the real reason for the suicide. For more information, click here.
- October 2010
BSA Traditional Members Declines Again for 2009. This is the 12th straight year of membership reduction since 1997. For more information, click here.
- October 2010 Gay Father banned from wearing BSA uniform short. The son of an openly gay father joined a Cub Scout Pack and the Pack asked the father to help out. He did. When the Pack
gave him a scout shirt to wear, no one saw a problem, as he was not registered. Some adults complained to the council and because of the BSA's discrimination policy, he was asked not to wear the uniform shirt,
but insisted that the Pack still wanted him to chair their Popcorn fundraising program. Because of this experience, the father and son have left the unit and Scouting. For more information, click here.
- October 2010 Mormon Parents told could not be Pack leaders because they are not Christian. The BSA has never had a problem condoning discrimination, whether it came in the form of race,
gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religious belief. Recently, a BSA Pack expelled from its rolls two adult leaders (who happened to be parents of scouts in the unit), because the chartering organization does
not think that Mormons are Christians. It seems one of the condition of membership and adult leadership in the unit is being a Christian and this evangelical Christian church does not think that Mormons are Christian.
The BSA wholeheartedly support such discrimination. For more information, click here.
- August 2010 BSA Upset at President Obama for Not Going to Jamboree and Scouts Boo President's Videocast. This
Summer, the anti-Obama folks (which now seems to include the once nonpartisan BSA) have decried the President for not attending the National Jamboree. Many claim that "every" President has done so. Of
course, those that state this as a fact are lying. Let's run through the Jamborees:
1937 (FDR (D), attended);
1950 (Truman (D), attended);
1953 (Eisenhower (R), no show);
1957 (Eisenhower (R), no show);
1960 (Eisenhower (R), no show);
1964 (LBJ (D), attended);
1969 (Nixon (R), no show);
1973 (Nixon (R), no show);
1977 (Carter (D), no show);
1981 (Reagan (R), no show);
1985 (Reagan (R), no show);
1989 (GHWB (R), attended);
1993 (Clinton (D), no show);
1997 (Clinton (D), attended);
2001 (GWB (R), no show);
2005 (GWH (R), attended); and,
2010 (Obama (D), no show).
Of the 17 National Jamborees, only SIX presidents have attended a National Jamboree - interestingly, only two of the six presidents were Republicans. Given the rationale being used by some BSA supporters , I guess this means that the GOP does not look with favor on the BSA, at
least the Democratic Presidents have shown more support for the BSA.
The politicization of the BSA since the 1980s was clearly evident when a video surfaced on YouTube showing Boy Scouts booing during
the videocast of President Obama's speech to them. But, given the incivility being taught to BSA members today, what can one expect.
- July 2010 BSA wins against Philadelphia, but recent SCOTUS ruling might overturn verdict. Ever since the Dale case, the
BSA has increasingly demanded the special rights it was given when it was an organization open to all boys. These special rights were usually in the form of lucrative financial agreements that were not available to
any other private religious your organization. When the City of Philadelphia told the BSA it had to comply with its nondiscrimination laws in order to remain on city-owned property rent-free, they sued
the city. A federal jury recently partly sided with the BSA, but 5 days after their decision the US Supreme Court handed down a ruling that the city is claiming overturns the verdict. Click here for more
information.
- July 2010 BSA ordered to pay $18.5 million for sexual abuse and FINALLY requires YPT for ALL volunteers. When the BSA introduced the Youth Protection Training (YPT) program in 1991, I
soon learned in my TTT program for YPT that it would be mandatory for ALL volunteer leaders. Apparently, I've been misled for years by the BSA -- imagine that! It seems that not only has the BSA not required
this training, but has been resisting it for years. It seems that paying out money is the only motivation that means anything for the BSA. For more information, click here.
- March 2010 Scout Official calls for the Execution of Gay Scouts and Scout Leaders. David Bahati, the Chairman of the Uganda Scouts Association (a member of the WOSM), introduced a bill in the
Ugandan Parliament calling for the death penalty for any and all homosexuals. This would of course include children who happen to be members of the Scouting community. In spite of objections to the
WOSM of the endorsement of such a measure by the Uganda Scouts Association, the WOSM has taken no position on this blatant violation of human rights, not to mention that it is effect a legalization of
genocide, and its affiliation with the Scouting Movement. For more information, click here.
- February 2010 Letter to the Editor decries religious extremism in the new BSA. A former scout in his 70's reflects on the religious diversity and acceptance present in scouting during his
experience growing up in the 1940s. He states that he still loves "the Boy Scouts of America, but wish they would either change their exclusionary policies or drop the "America" from their name. Don't
hijack the self-evident truths of our nation, too!" To read the complete article, click here.
- January 2010 In Response to the BSA's action against two Mothers, Members of Congress write letter. A letter from 26 Congresspersons to the BSA decried the exclusion of two mothers
from helping out their son's Cub Pack, simply because they happen to be gay. Click here to read the letter.
- December 2009 Documents surface that state that Baden-Powell ordered the execution of a POW. Papers relating to the Second Matabele War in 1896 say Baden-Powell, then a Colonel in
the British Army, ordered the shooting of an African chief. The chief, Uwini, had been promised his life would be spared if he surrendered. For more information, click here.
- December 2009 Scout Officials rejects Lesbian Mothers. A district executive told the mothers of a Cub Scout that the BSA "wouldn't want you pushing your lifestyle on the boys." For more information, click here.
- November 2009 Los Angeles cuts ties with BSA! In spite of total fabrication on the part of the BSA that its Learning for Life -- a wholly
owned and operated subsidiary, of the BSA -- "does not take funds from the Boy Scouts," the LA Police Commission voted to sever relations with the BSA. For more information, click here.
- September 2009 Middle School Children Coming Out as GAY! The New York Times has published an in-depth article about the increasing
number of middle-school aged children coming out to their parents, family and friends. The author of the article, spoke to NPR about his reporting.
What does this have to do with the BSA? While the first Scouts to be publicly kicked out of the BSA for being gay were two high school aged Scouts (aged 16 and 17) in 1978, society has progressed since
that time. In the future, the BSA will be faced with Scouts who have been members since the 1st grade coming out at 12, 13, or 14 years of age. While such expulsions will be greeted with joy by the Religious
Right, the Scouts' family and friends will not. Already membership has been dropping because of this policy. Current and prospective members
and parents will not wish to join when they learn of how the BSA treated their 12-year-old nephew, neighbor, or school mate. At least one religious chartered partner is talking about making sure that such 12-year-olds are expelled. What will the BSA do in response to society's evolution?
- June 2009 An excellent book that discusses the harmful impact the Dale decision has on the US's anti-discrimination laws has recently
been released. For more information on Right to Discriminate?: How the Case of Boy Scouts of America V. James Dale Warped the Law of Free Association, click here!
- May 2009 Participants in the BSA's Learning for Life program has declined by a precipitous 25% since 2007!
As usual, the BSA has been silent on the cause for this steep drop-off. Two possible explanations are that: 1) the BSA is adjusting for previously inflated membership numbers, or 2) schools have decided that they don't need
the program the BSA sells them. In today's tough economic conditions, look for another steep decline in Learning for Life revenues to the BSA. For more information, click here.
- May 2009 BSA Membership has declined again in 2008. This is the 11th straight year of membership reduction since 1997. For more information, click here.
- July 2008 The Boy Scouts of America has endorsed California's Proposition 8, which would overturn the California Supreme Court's
decision that same-sex couples are entitled to the same equal rights as opposite-sex couples when it comes to marriage. On the California Secretary of State's web site, a Rebuttal to Argument Against Proposition 8 is available to interested voters. The Rebuttal was written and signed in
part by Robert Bolingbroke, who executed the government document as the Commissioner for the San Diego-Imperial Council of the Boy Scouts of America and on behalf of the Boy Scouts of America. The
BSA's decision to become involved in a political matter not only calls into question their commitment to adhere to there own by-laws which prohibit such actions, but risks their tax-exempt status.
- June 2008 BSA Membership declined again in 2007. Since 1997, the BSA has lost (768,205 members!. For more information, click here.
- June 2008 BSA looks for permanent Jamboree home for 2013 Jamboree and beyond. Because the BSA has come out as a private
religious organization, it can no longer receive federal support in hosting its quadrennial national event. A federal court ruled in the Winkler case,
that the millions of dollars in direct and indirect support the BSA received from the federal government for the Jamboree was unconstitutional.
- June 2008 The 9th Circuit Court of Appeal has requested the California Supreme Court to certify several questions regarding the
Barnes-Wallace v. Boy Scouts of America case. The order can be viewed here and more information on this case is available here.
- May 2008 Cradle of Liberty Council (Philadelphia) has sued the City of Philadelphia in federal court to block the city's May 31 deadline
for the scouts to open membership to gays and atheists, or vacate their historic 1928 headquarters off Logan Square. Click here for more information.
- February 2008 LA Urged To Cut Ties With Boy Scouts Affiliate
A group that administers youth programs for the Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments is little more than a shill organization for the Boy Scouts of America and should be dropped the city has been told.
In a letter to Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, Lambda Legal says that the city honor needs to honor its own nondiscrimination policies and cut ties with Learning for Life.
The Police and Fire Department have contracted with "Learning for Life" for about 45 years to run the youth programs but the relationship has recently been questioned by the Police Commission.
Learning for Life is a national program that provides career education for youth. While its mission statement says LFL does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or religion, it is essentially
an arm of Boy Scouts of America, which does.
"Only a tissue-thin layer of corporate formality, if even that, separates Learning for Life from the Boy Scouts," said Brian Chase,
Senior Staff Attorney for Lambda Legal.
"The organizations share offices, intermingle finances, and share directors and personnel," said Chase.
"This is an attempt by BSA to skirt anti-discrimination policies of Los Angeles and other cities by setting up a not-so-separate corporate entity."
In 2000, BSA fought Lambda Legal all the way to the United States Supreme Court in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale.
The court ruled that as a private organization the BSA could
continue its policies barring gays, lesbians, agnostics and atheists.
But in its letter this week to Delgadillo, Lamdba reminds the city attorney that the Los Angeles City Code reads that anyone contracting
with the city must agree "not to discriminate in his employment practices... against any employee or applicant for employment" due to religion or sexual orientation, among other bases.
The letter argues that any city affiliation with Learning for Life is illegal, and that the LAPD should sever all ties with the program, and to develop its cadet program in a way that rejects discrimination and is
more consistent with city codes.
Delgadillo has not responded to the Lambda letter and the issue remains before the Police Commission.
- December 2007 A review of Hans Zeiger's book "Get Off My
Honor: The Assault on the Boy Scouts of America" was published several months ago by the Pierce Law Review. Click here to read it.
- November 2007 BSA prepared a coup against World Scouting in Pattaya
BSA have launched a huge campaign within World Scouting in order to reduce the impact of the democratic bodies of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM). The real threat comes
against the World Scout Committee, executive body of WOSM, composed of 12 members elected by the World Scout Conference. By doing so, BSA are forgetting about the democratic traditions of World
Scouting and the democratic fundamental principles of the movement. This campaign aims at getting the dismissal of Dr. Eduardo Missoni, the current Secretary General of WOSM who started a great institutional
reform, including governance, education programs and branding.
This destructive campaign, organized by International Commissioner Wayne Perry (co-opted member of the World Scout Committee), is
supported by few European and Asiatic national scout organizations driven without any political alternative common vision. The process was designed beginning of October in Thailand at Woodland Resort, upon the
invitation of the famous producer of the Tiffany Show in Pattaya.
BSA's National Council aims at cutting all financial means to WOSM and so oblige the World Scout Committee to dismiss Eduardo Missoni.
To read Perry's letter, click here.
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