He can make popcorn for the kids though. Presumably you can’t taint popcorn with The Gayness:
A University Park father learned this week that he will not be able to serve as a leader in his 9-year-old’s Cub Scout pack because he’s gay.
For the last two years Jon Langbert has organized a popcorn fundraiser for Pack 70 at University Park Elementary. Then at a September Scout meeting, someone complained about his homosexuality, Langbert said.
He said he was told this week that he can’t wear the Scout leader shirt he was given last year and that he cannot serve in a leadership position because of his sexual orientation.
“What message does that send to my son? It says I’m a second-class citizen,” Langbert said.
Robert McTaggart, the Cubmaster for Pack 70, said Langbert will be allowed to continue as a popcorn fundraiser. That position is not considered a leadership role and can be held by a volunteer.
How big of them.
A couple of things about this: The Boy Scouts are, obviously, working within their rights as current law stands, thanks to a 2000 Supreme Court Decision which allowed them to keep discriminating. The father in the article does bring up the sticky fact that the Highland Park public schools grant use of their facilities for the Scouts to meet, and says that he’s contacted attorneys about it. He should. The Boy Scouts of America, as a private organization, can be as discriminatory as they want, but that doesn’t mean that we should share our public facilities with discriminatory organizations.
Max Simon at Queerty points out the positive ramifications of Langbert taking his son out of the Scouts:
On the plus side, if he pulls his son out of the Scouts now, there’s a great chance he won’t be molested in a few years.
Ouch.
They also exclude atheists. I wonder if they would have booted him out if he were openly agnostic or atheistic. I suspect they would prefer a closet atheist over a Sikh father who has to wear a turban.
What would the Scouts do if the father were straight and a KKK member? I’m guessing he’d still be wearing that Scout leader shirt.
We gay parents need to think first. Has he been living under a rock. Their policy has been quite LOUD over the last 10 years. As a gay dad – my son will not be boy scout. Not only are their practices anti-atheist and gay but also extremely disrespectful to Native Americans.
There are certain groups that don’t want our families to be a part of them. And they are blunt about. So don’t be involved with them – problem solved.
[...] TX: Dallas: Gay Dad Of Cub Scout Can’t Be Pack Leader. Read more [...]
[...] Langbert is quoted as asking “what message does that send to my son?” and “It says I’m a second class citizen“. And, you’re right, Jon…it does say that. Now, I don’t know Langert and [...]
You can be gay or an athiest. You just cant be a leader. Sounds fair to me. If you dont like it dont join. Im agostic, my sister is a lesbion.
But this is a program I pay for and actually I read the rules before I joined.
I find nothing wrong with what they are doing as an organization. I signed my son up so he could be a boy and do boy things… As much as my sisters gf acts the man.. she is not. Its really that simple.
Madkat said “I find nothing wrong with what they are doing as an organization.”
Well then you’re an idiot – any discrimination against gays or atheists is wrong.