Activist Zach Wahls Slams Boy Scouts’ Decision Delay on Gay Members
The noted LGBT rights supporter and Eagle Scout's latest comments come just days after he eviscerated the homophobic arguments presented by the father of a Boy Scout.
Lifting the discriminatory policy of banning gay members from joining its organization should have been a no-brainer for the Boy Scouts of America. Instead, the youth group Wednesday postponed an expected announcement, saying in a statement that it needed “more time for a deliberate review” because of the “complexity” of the issue.
Noted LGBT rights activist and Eagle Scout Zach Wahls–you may remember him as the Iowa student whose impassioned speech for marriage equality in front of state lawmakers was captured in a video that went viral in 2011–slammed the move. “By postponing this decision, the BSA has caved to those who argue that their anti-gay attitudes trump basic Scouting values of kindness, courtesy and bravery. Scouting was built on a foundation of respect and dignity. Today, the BSA cracked that foundation,” he said.
Perhaps the organization missed this stirring CNN segment over the weekend in which Wahls eviscerated the homophobic arguments presented by Ed Whelan, the Scout father who penned an op-ed in the New York Post asking the group to keep its policy in place.
“There’s a vast difference between being opposed to gay marriage and opposing the enrichment and development of young men because they happen to be not straight,” Wahls said. “I think [Whelan] should understand that the Scouts is about respecting the opinions of all the people who want to be members, not just some.”
— Posted by Tracy Bloom.
Your support is crucial...As we navigate an uncertain 2025, with a new administration questioning press freedoms, the risks are clear: our ability to report freely is under threat.
Your tax-deductible donation enables us to dig deeper, delivering fearless investigative reporting and analysis that exposes the reality beneath the headlines — without compromise.
Now is the time to take action. Stand with our courageous journalists. Donate today to protect a free press, uphold democracy and uncover the stories that need to be told.
Scores of lawyers are seeking settlements on behalf of several thousand men who say they were molested as scouts.
The new policy still allows church-organized local units to consider sexual orientation when deciding who can volunteer and lead Scout groups.
A lot of regulations went into effect Jan. 1, marking a new year that will see a lot of interesting things occur in various countries all over the globe.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.