The Boy Scouts of America’s gay ban may be partially lifted

Since the late 1970s, the Boy Scouts of America (B.S.A.) has had a policy that bans gay youth and adult leaders from membership in the Boy Scouts.  In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that B.S.A. had the legal right to continue this discriminatory policy.  In the years since, organizations have been formed to fight the ban through other channels. 

Meanwhile, B.S.A. has ejected Scouts and adult leaders whose homosexuality came its attention.  Others, after becoming aware of the policy, left Scouting on their own.  Untold numbers have declined to get involved at all.

On May 20, B.S.A., which is facing declining enrollment and a loss of support from, among other entities, some of its corporate supporters, will vote on lifting the ban — but only to the extent that it covers youth Scouting members.  Under the proposed change, gay adult leaders will still be banned.

If this nuanced change is adopted, will it make it safe for gay Scouts to come out?  What message does it send?  Will it be enough to enable B.S.A. to regain some of the support and membership it has lost?  Perhaps most importantly, why is the B.S.A. reluctant to make a sweeping statement that discrimination is simply wrong?

This week’s edition of OutCasting explores these complex issues through discussions with people who are or have been involved with the fight to overturn the ban, including:

• Evan Wolfson, the civil rights attorney who represented a gay Scout whose ejection from Scouting led to the U.S. Supreme Court case Boy Scouts v. James Dale;

• Zach Wahls, the executive director of Scouts for Equality;

• Mark Noel, the executive director of the Inclusive Scouting Network who was ejected under the gay ban shortly after the Supreme Court decided the James Dale case;

• Michelle Tompkins, national media manager of the Girl Scouts of the United States;

• Christoph, who left Scouting;

• David, a current Scout who opposes the ban; and

• Michael, who is still closeted in Scouting.

This edition is also being carried nationally on the Pacifica program Sprouts, which is also heard here on WDFH

This new edition of OutCasting features an interview with Gene Robinson, whose consecration as the first openly gay Episcopal bishop was followed by a split in the Episcopal Church over the issue of homosexuality.  Bishop Robinson, a leading international voice for gay rights, talks with OutCaster David about how he was elected, the positive aftermath of his consecration, the death threats he received, the split in the church, marriage equality, and his new book, God Believes in Love: Straight Talk About Gay Marriage.

If you’re interested in buying this book, please consider buying it from an LGBT bookstore.  We are losing these valuable community institutions in an age of internet shopping, and a great deal is being lost.  Here’s a list.

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We Are the Youth — a photographic journalism project countering the lack of visibility of LGBT young people

On this thirteenth edition of OutCasting, Diana Scholl and Laurel Golio talk with Travis about the We Are the Youth project.  Diana and Laurel started the project to address the lack of visibility of LGBT young people.  By chronicling the individual stories of LGBT youth in the United States and providing a space for youth to share stories in an honest and respectful way, the project has opened the door for touching and revealing stories that reveal a lot the daily lives of LGBT youth.

Read Travis’ We Are the Youth profile

Visit the We Are the Youth site.

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LGBT people in religion; stereotypes based on appearance

On this edition of OutCasting, David talks with Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, an LGBT-inclusive synagogue in New York City.  Rabbi Kleinbaum is a recipient of the Woman of Valor Award given by the Jewish Fund for Justice.  The Forward, a national Jewish weekly newspaper, and Newsweek have both named Rabbi Kleinbaum as one of the top 50 American rabbis. New York Jewish Week, another publication, named her as one of the 45 leading young American  Jewish leaders in New York.  She has been an activist since her college years.

Also, in our first OutCasting audio essay, Mady talks about how appearances can be misleading.

Queens Legal Services, serving LGBT families and people living with HIV; guest Richard Saenz, staff attorney

Queens Legal Services is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to provide equal access to justice for all low-income residents of Queens through a range of legal advocacy, education, and community partnerships.  They provide free legal counseling, representation, and referrals in civil matters to eligible low income individuals and families.  They also work to address and identify root causes of systemic inequalities in the legal system.  Queens Legal Services is a part of Legal Services NYC.

Our guest, Richard Saenz, a staff attorney at Queens Legal Services, represents low income LGBT families and people living with HIV.