Would those policies require that the YMCA sever ties with the Boy Scouts? Forgive me for not realizing that Boy Scouts are now employees of the YMCA. You talk about needing to avoid alienation, and then in the same piece advocate severing ties with the Boy Scouts of America? Great logical progression there.

Respectfully, I would submit that the editorial board do its homework before disgorging an opinion. “Morally straight” has been part of the Scout Oath since 1910 and has nothing to go with sexual orientation. This piece illustrates how those who would preach tolerance have none if you disagree with their point of view.

Give me a break!! You really think a person that utilizes a facility is considered an employee?
The fact you penned it under “EDITORIAL BOARD” and not a name tells us ALL that you do not agree with what is in the article. You are trying to make the Scouts look bad, and all you are doing is displaying your bias, hate, and negativity. If we continue your line of thinking, then anyone not is a relationship with someone of the same gender should not be permitted to use the YMCA.
My opinion, and I am a Scout Leader, is who cares what you think. Let the Scouts have their meeting place. It only means that your group cannot join the Scouts; and seriously, do you really think they would want to? Moving to the next step, your next plan in progression will be to remove the membership of those who are also in Scouts.

Two things:
1) The BSA does not allow any non-heterosexuals to be members — youth or adults. While the court cases involved gay adults, there are many news reports of gay youth being expelled from the BSA for being gay.
2) According to the BSA’s charter policy, when an organization charters a BSA unit, then that unit is “owned” by the organization and fully embraces ALL of the BSA’s policies — including discrimination on the basis of religious belief and sexual orientation. From the BSA’s POV, the adult leaders would be “employees” of the YMCA, albeit unpaid employees.

The real sub text to this story is that the Boy Scouts of America has been hijacked by the Mormon church which automatically enrolls it’s youth in the organization rather than having their own LDS group. Because of this policy the Mormon church has by default become the largest supporter of the BSA and therefore has imposed its own narrow views onto the organization. Thus ‘morally straight” has taken on a new and unintended meaning and allowed the BSA
to become a vehicle for national discrimination.

Any discussion of BSA discrimination should point out this unhealthy and un-holy relationship between the non-profit,non-sectarian Boy Scouts and the Latter Day Saints of which this unfolding local tragic story is the result.
Souting is doomed until the Mormons get the hell out.
The DTH should do its readers a favor by going to the heart of this local discrimination quandry by doing an article on the source of Scouting’s recently revised stance on “morally straight”

TSIA

BSA – Straight; brave, kind, thrifty, clean and reverend. Which is more than I can say about this ridiculous editorial.

If the YMCA doesn’t allow the BSA in, then I quit, and so will others. Nor, do I believe homosexuality should be promoted in any form whatsoever.

Otelia, where is your evidence that the Boy Scouts have been “hijacked” by the Mormon church? That statement/premise is completely without merit. I worked as a Boy Scout leader at three different levels of scouting in one of the nation’s largest councils. Mormon churches do act as the chartering organization of some troops, but there are by far more public schools, civic groups and non-Mormon churches sponsoring scouts than Church of Latter Day Saints. It’s not even close. So to back up your statement, where is the proof of your claim because my first hand experience is entirely different from your assertion. And David, you are completely wrong that either the BSA or the chartering organization considers BSA leaders as any sort of “employee,” paid or otherwise. If you yourself ever participated in the annual rechartering process of a Pack or Troop or completed any of the mandatory adult leadership training, you would actually know this. Geez, I never cease to be amazed at the complete lack of knowledge spewed in the DTH on subjects that students seem to know nothing about.

The editorial says the Triangle YMCA is the one that must change its “backwards policies.” You fail to understand the Golden Rule…he who has the gold, makes the rules. The Chapel Hill YMCA is the one with the bleak financial picture that desperately needs this merger, not the other way around. The party that needs a merger to stay afloat is hardly in any position to dictate the terms of a deal. The Triangle Y can walk away. The Chapel HIll Y is in no such position, based on what they sent to members lately.

Given the YMCA’s past role in the homosexual community, I kind of confused why the Triangle Branch would allow the Boy Scouts of America to use their facility if they really represent such a threat to a Non-Discrimination Policy. I mean if the Triangle Branch does not feel its values are been thrown out the window by letting the BSA have a meeting there once a week, then I don’t see why Chapel Hill-Carrboro should feel any differently.

What’s more, why is no one getting angry about the Y Guides program, in which only Dads are allowed to act as chaperons for their son or daughter in the group. Why are mothers excluded? Isn’t that discrimination on the basis of gender as much as this case of discrimination on the basis of sexuality? Don’t the sons and daughters of single mothers feel excluded? I only raise these points to illustrate that the YMCA of the Triangle has remained consistent in its policies over the years such that if people really had a problem with them, then why only now are people getting angry.

Read more …

More liberal tripe for the small powers that be in Chapel Hill. I just wonder how the Y would respond if, say, a Muslim group that preached violent jihad and advocated hatred of others (Jews, for instance) would be treated under this policy. Forced to sever their relationship? I think not! This is all about political correctness run amok.

UNC Alum- I have to agree with Otelia
check this out http://www.bsa-discrimination.org/html/lds-top.html
also the highly awarded documentry “Scout’s Honor”
http://www.newday.com/films/Scouts_Honor.html
As an Eagle Scout since 1961 I am appalled that Scouting bowed to economic pressures from
the LDS Church and it’s redifinition of“morally atraight”

This article is ridiculous. Why can’t someone own up to writing this piece? There’s clearly a lack of knowledge among the “Editorial Board.” It is evident that they failed to do their homework and actually present the other side of the story. Being an Eagle Scout, I have grown up in the Boy Scouts, been active in community service, and learned valuable lessons that are not taught elsewhere. The culture you mention in this article, from my experience, does not take place in the Boy Scouts and I think that it is irresponsible to assume that certain national policies are unanimously accepted in every charter, especially in such a “progressive” town. This article, simply put, is an embarrassment to the DTH and is entirely hypocritical.

I will stand by my position that there is no takeover of the BSA by the Mormon church. As of Dec. 2010, the Mormon church chartered just under 38,000 scout organizations which held a total of 413,000 members. But there were 73,865 scout organizations chartered by everything from homeowners associations to Rotary to VFW to Buddhist temples and their membership exceeded 2.2 million. Not exactly a massive takover now, is it. And those numbers are just using the 25 largest religious and 20 largest non-religious charter groups. The actual number of scouts and units that are not affiliated with the Mormon church is higher.

I spent seven years in the Boy Scouts. The only problem was, I wasn’t technically allowed to be a member because I am an atheist. So yes, contrary to some people below, there is in fact a culture of exclusion and intolerance in the Boy Scouts that some people choose to ignore. Good for anyone who stands up and refuses to support this bigotry.