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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 organization," with the constitutional right to
freely discriminate on whatever grounds they see fit, has only spawned more legal and other problems for BSA.
In the past several months, we've seen the following developments:
- 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 1977, 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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