Tim Rollins Photo courtesy of Beth Rollins

In an Associated Press article yesterday, I read what had to be the best story I’ve read all week. It seems that the gay-promoted backlash against the Boy Scouts over their decision to disallow gays to be a part of their organization either as leaders or as scouts, may have backfired, and backfired big-time.

For those of you who have been following this issue to any degree, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 this past summer that the Scouts are a private organization and as such are entitled to set their own criteria for membership. Five days before the rendering of that decision, Clinton signed Executive Order 13160. That Executive Order prohibited discrimination on the basis of "race, sex, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation and status as a parent in federally conducted education and training programs." This affected, or rather, targeted the Boys Scouts on the grounds that they receive federal funds, albeit a small amount. Clearly, this was an attempt at circumventing the Supreme Court’s ruling on this matter. It’s more than likely that Clinton knew the Supremes were going to rule the way that they did, which ruling then negated the Executive Order as it pertained to the Scouts. Furthermore, the backlash from the American people through their representatives on the Hill forced the administration to quickly backpedal on their push to keep the Scouts away from Virginia’s Camp A.P. Hill next summer for their quadrennial jamboree.

With the ruling by the Supremes, a number of organizations began retaliating against the Scouts in various ways. In Connecticut, the state denied the Scouts use permits for public land, to which the Scouts responded with a lawsuit – that case is pending. In Broward County, Florida, the school board (5th largest in the country) denied the Scouts use of their facilities for meetings and activities. Other school districts around the country have followed suit in an effort to placate the cries of the homosexual lobby who in reality are nothing more than third-rate party crashers who want it their way or no way at all.

In many other communities, most notably in South Florida, many area United Way agencies began cutting off funds to the Scouts because of their decision to stand by the principles that have been an integral part of their organization since their beginning. Even a rogue Congresswoman got in on the act with her effort to repeal the federal charter Congress granted the Scouts in 1916. The measure went down by a vote of 362-12.

Well, the gay community will have their hands full from the look of it. Parents, business executives and other conservatives that have seen the tangible benefits and results of what the Scouting program has accomplished over the years have banded together and are fighting back – and are they steamed. One conservative activist in Florida said that the Fort Lauderdale City Commission’s decision to cancel a grant to the Scouts was going too far, and she, along with other like-minded voters plan to remedy this situation through the electoral process.

Joining the people who are using the ballot box as a means of setting right the rights of the Scouts to set their own membership criteria are the people of Tempe, Arizona. The City Council there reversed their decision that attempted to deny the right of city employees to make payroll donations to the Scouts through the local United Way. The problems have a reached a fever pitch with the launch of a recall campaign against the city’s openly gay mayor, Neil Giuliano. Other people in places around the country have joined in on going to bat for the Scouts. In Kentucky, numerous donors to the United Way of the Bluegrass threatened to cut off their contributions if they cut off its funding to the Boy Scouts. The United Way there decided to continue the funding.

A school board in Eugene, Oregon banned the recruiting of Boy Scouts on their school campuses. Following vehement complaints by parents, the powers that be reversed their decision, once again allowing the Scouts to recruit. In addition, they apologized for their knee-jerk reaction and for not getting public input beforehand. Other places, including Indiana, have plans in place for helping the Scouts through this time until common sense prevails, if and when that ever happens.

There continues to be opposition to the rights of the Scouts. There are school boards such as Minneapolis that are ending their sponsorship of scout troops and there will continue to be other outfits that are telling the Scouts to take a hike, which is fine. Scouting can get along without them, as there will always be new sponsors for Scouting that will both welcome and encourage the development of young boys and men who are willing to subscribe and commit themselves to the principles of being mentally awake and morally straight.

Such principles have been a guiding light to millions of men and boys of all ages around the world and have benefited men, women and their families for over 80 years.

Copyright © 2000 by Timothy Rollins.
All Rights Reserved.

-Published with permission