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February 8, 1993 Mr. Donald L. Townsend Dear Mr. Townsend, I write as the liaison from the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries, of the United Church of Christ, to the Boy Scouts of America. Our denomination sits at the Religious Relationships table with historic and strong ties to scouting. From 1969 to the present, national, regional, and local bodies of the United Church of Christ have studied, discussed, prayed, and acted on issues surrounding gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons in our churches and communities. No less, inviting study and action to overcome homophobia and the resultant prejudice against gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons. These votes, taken by the church's highest deliberative body, the General Synod, and its Executive Council, address our needs: to affirm the civil liberties of all persons without discrimination based on sexual orientation; to encourage the welcoming of gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons into membership and ordained ministry in the United Church of Christ; and, to protect the right to privacy of all people in consensual, adult relationships. Acknowledging these actions, I make the three following requests for dialogue and action. First, will the Boy Scouts of America stop its discriminatory practices of prohibiting openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons from holding leadership positions at all levels of the scouting organization? Second, in the event that the first request is not granted, we are a denomination based on the autonomy of the local congregation. Each congregation decides its own governing policies and practices. In light of this governing structure, will the Boy Scouts of America consider allowing sponsoring organizations the right to autonomy in determining their course of action concerning unit leadership by gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons, as is appropriate to the sponsoring group's policies and practices? And third, if either of the preceding requests are not granted, I request that the Boy Scouts of America produce a report for sponsoring organizations which clearly states the reasons for the Boy Scouts of America's practice of prohibiting openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual people from holding leadership positions in the scouting organization. I and others in the United Church of Christ stand ready to assist the Boy Scouts of America in whatever ways will be beneficial in addressing these issues. I bring these requests to you in the motivation of my own faith and as an act of making known the voted conscience of the General Synod and other bodies of the United Church of Christ. I also bring them to you out of a concern for the future of scouting. As other religious and secular organizations and sponsoring groups are making their conscience known, some withdrawing their support of scouting, I hope the Boy Scouts of America will seriously consider changing its practices of discrimination and affirm the presence of gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons in scouting. Shalom, Rev. Gordon J. Svoboda, II cc: Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry Rev. Dr. Thomas Dipko Rev. Dr. Ansley Coe Throckmorton Mr. John D. Thompson encl: Compedium of denominational actions
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