| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: Politix |
| Philadelphia City Council Votes For Homosexuals Against Scouting |
| 2007-06-02 |
| Philadelphia City Council voted yesterday to end a nearly 80-year-old lease held by the Boy Scouts local branch over the group's adherence to a national policy banning actively homosexual leaders. The ongoing dispute pitted the Scouts' Cradle of Liberty Council against homosexual activists over the organization's refusal to adopt an official policy welcoming homosexuals into leadership. The City, under pressure by activist groups, wants the Scouts to either alter the organization's policy or start paying market rent for the use of the historical Beaux Arts building, where the Scout headquarters has been housed since 1928 for a nominal rent. The resolution permitting the city to end the lease was introduced unexpectedly, according to coverage by the Philadelphia Inquirer, and passed 16-1 with no debate. City councilors stated their hope that the resolution would generate leverage for the city by and open the door to talks resolving the dispute. Homosexual activist organization Equality Advocates Pennsylvania pushed the city to act on the scout's lease, the Inquirer reported. Executive director Stacey Sobel said yesterday that the Boy Scouts should not be able to use taxpayers' dollars to discriminate against homosexuals. Scouts take an oath of duty to God as part of their membership, and actively homosexual individuals are not permitted as leaders. Although the Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that as a private organization, scouts could restrict homosexuals from leadership, scout groups have faced opposition from local officials revoking privileges where they have refused to alter policy based on the demands of homosexual activists. The American Family Association of Pennsylvania said the city was caving to the pressure of homosexual activists, in a press release earlier today. "With an alarming number of children facing violent deaths on the streets of Philadelphia, the city's answer is to target one of the few organizations that offer purpose and meaning to these children. Of the 64,000 members the Cradle of Liberty Scout Council serves, 40,000 are in Philadelphia alone," said Diane Gramley, president of the AFA. "The Scouts' policy banning open homosexual leaders is the right policy. Would the parents of Girl Scouts want a man to be their daughter's Scout leader? No and neither do parents want a man who is sexually attracted to other males to be Boy Scout leaders. Common sense should prevail here, but it's not." "Efforts to appease never work. Homosexual activists want a pro-gay policy expressly stating that the Cradle of Liberty Scout Council will accept open homosexuals. They are not concerned with the well-being of the children of Philadelphia and surrounding counties, but instead choose to use them in an effort to make an example out of the Boy Scouts," Gramley said. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #9 Perhaps so, but that isn't what is going on here. Gay activists may be sincere in wanting to participate in Scouting -- the organization has a long and honorable history. I was a Scout and I had a blast. Men I know are Scout leaders and they love it. So I suppose that a gay man would sincerely want to help the community by helping out the young lads. That isn't the issue here either. This is part and parcel of the leftie agenda to control all NGOs and make them part of an over-arching organization that advances what is most dear to lefties. Organizations that can't be co-opted are targeted for destruction. The Scouts won't allow gays because they fear the consequences if a gay pedophile gets his hooks into a young lad. The activists will use that concern to destroy Scouting if they can. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2007-06-02 10:38 |
| #8 They are a private club and can have whatever rules they want. But there is no reason taxpayers should be made to pay for it. An end to tax-breaks for religious institutions would be better. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2007-06-02 07:56 |
| #7 Steve White's comment was on the money. Almost without exception NGOs get hijacked by Leftwing activists. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2007-06-02 22:14 |
| #6 Fudge packing is sinning, and if you think you can make light of sinning, just try crossing that dark river of death with a sin hanging on your neck. Bye, bye queer bates, hell awaits your arrival. The scouts should get out of Philly. |
| Posted by: Grusosh Borgia9229 2007-06-02 22:01 |
| #5 When one looks at the tremendous good the Boy Scouts have done it give me complete nausea to see the anti-Christian RINOs defending this crap. The mentally ill liberals want to destroy this nation from the inside out. There is no excuse for defending their destructive goals. This wasn't about rent nor government support of a fantastic institution. It is purely about gays not liking a group that doesn't approve of their fudge packing ways. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2007-06-02 21:28 |
| #4 The only reason homosexuals have targeted the Boy Scouts is that if homosexuals tried to start a similar organization, the purpose of soliciting young boys into a "club" they would be tarred and feathured. So what they are doing is attempting to use cloak the dignity and decency established by the Boy Scouts of America, and saying they want to be leaders, as a wolf entering a sheeps pack, disguised as a lamb. |
| Posted by: Woodrow Clomoter1684 2007-06-02 19:14 |
| #3 I don't think this is about anything other than finding a politically expedient excuse to raise rent that has been reduced since 1928. Boy Scouts are a wonderful tradition. Too bad our elected officials - even at the city level - are just about taking our tax money and doling it out to their friends to get re-elected. It will be the end of our great country. |
| Posted by: Angaiger Tojo1904 2007-06-02 17:52 |
| #2 Scouting is a wonderful organization and really helps our youth. When society doesn't seem to know about integrity and honor we need to support scouting more than ever, to help our youth. It's not just gays, it would be for hetero guys too. Sad that our society has taken us to this neccesity of thinking. To not be alone with a young scout needing two adults is okay with me if that's what it takes. |
| Posted by: Jan from work 2007-06-02 13:47 |
| #1 We're rewriting our will, I think it's time to make a provision. |
| Posted by: anonymous2u 2007-06-02 11:09 |