Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 17:13:06 -0700 From: Jean Richter Subject: 10/15/99 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news 1. Action alert: Urge the Boy Scouts to reconsider anti-gay policies 2. Free teachers' guide: "Responding to Hate at School" ========================================================================== Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 10:53:35 -0700 (PDT) From: Mike Montalvo Reply-To: Boyscout@Texas.net Subject: *** Action Alert on BSA National Executive Committee meeting *** *** Action Alert *** Please contact BSA National/SBC Communications. The Boy Scouts of America National Executive Committee will be meeting in the next week (starting Oct 16th) to consider a proposal submitted by one of it's councils at the BSA's last National Convention. This proposal would "establish a representative commission to examine the relevance and appropriateness of the present membership requirements for traditional BSA programs and report its findings to the executive board in the year 2000." It is VERY important that we make our thoughts known to the Boy Scouts of America National Executive Committee and let them know how important it is that such a Committee be established. Please join with us in contacting the current BSA President, Ed Whitacre Jr. to let him know how important this is. It is doubly important that those of you that were or are involved in Scouting let them know that you were/are a Scouting member. Mr. Whitacre (CEO/President of Southwestern Bell) was given a lot of credit for it's merger with Pacific Telesis for being practical, bottom-line and realizing that the gay and lesbian community is very important to their business plan and embracing diversity. Steve Coulter (VP of External Affairs): "I give SBC and (CEO) Ed Whitacre a lot of credit". It is our sincere hope that Mr. Whitacre can be a guiding force in the Boy Scouts of America and play the same critical role in their process as he did in the SouthWestern Bell and Pacific Telesis merger. Please contact via phone if possible due to the critical timing of this issue. Thanks! =================== Contact Information: SouthWestern Bell Communications Attn: Ed Whitacre Jr. 175 East Houston St. San Antonio, Texas 78205 (210) 821-4105 Boy Scouts of America Attn: Ed Whitacre Jr. 1325 Walnut Hill Ln. Irving, Texas (972) 580-2000 Website References: http://boyscout.home.texas.net/BSAPROP.htm http://boyscout.home.texas.net/SBC.htm ============== BSA Resolution This resolution was presented at the last National Council meeting (San Diego) in May 1999, and referred to the Relationships Division which meets in October. It calls for a commission to study diversity in the BSA to be formed, representative of the different constituencies in Scouting (churches, schools, government, civic organizations, etc), to explore the BSA membership requirements in light of the situation today. __________________________________________ BSA Proposed Resolution Resolved, that the executive board of the National Council Boy Scouts of America, establish a representative commission to examine the relevance and appropriateness of the present membership requirements for traditional BSA programs and report its findings to the executive board in the year 2000. Explanatory Statement Since 1910 Scouting has served as a positive, unifying force, bringing together many faiths and viewpoints to fulfill a common mission: instilling the values of the Scout Oath and Law in young people. Present membership standards for "traditional" BSA programs deny membership to any youth or leader who identifies himself or herself as homosexual. While there is no expressed requirement that a prospective Scout or Scout leader identify himself or herself as heterosexual, the current practice is to deny membership to any youth or adult who admits to homosexual orientation. National administrative policy of the Boy Scouts interprets the provision of the Scout Oath requiring a Scout to be "morally straight" as being antithetical to homosexual orientation. In other words, according to present interpretations, a homosexual person cannot be "morally straight." Many others in the Scouting movement have interpreted these terms to refer to proper behavior rather than a definition of a person's sexual orientation. This interpretation holds that it is a person's behavior that should be assessed in determining whether one is "morally straight." Many other youth organizations and charitable service groups, as well as business and government, base their employment or membership policies on standards of sexual *behavior* rather than on sexual *orientation*. The chartering organizations of traditional BSA programs are a broad and diverse group. Many are religious institutions that proscribe homosexual orientation as immoral. Others proscribe homosexual conduct as immoral. Still others accept homosexual orientation as an existent condition within the general population. Many traditional chartered organizations, religious and secular, advocate maintaining existing membership requirements, as do many parents of Scouting youth. The present Boy Scout membership policy is the subject of litigation. It is being challenged by both private and public institutions that historically have supported the Boy Scout program. Businesses and foundations that have been sources of substantial financial support have questioned the continuation of such a policy, and the United Way in some communities has withdrawn financial support or threatened to withdraw future backing. This challenged to traditional BSA membership standards must be viewed in the context of fundamental Scout principles that urge us to value and respect human diversity and to defend the rights of others to practice their own beliefs. Whether sexual orientation is an elective lifestyle or determined by genetic disposition (or both), is being debated in the medical and scientific professions and among religious leaders and sociologists. Information and knowledge on this issue is expanding rapidly. It is being examined at all levels of society--among private and public institutions, from business and industry to government and the military, from churches and synagogues to public schools and private colleges, from golf clubs to fraternal lodges and service clubs. In these circumstances, the BSA cannot avoid the challenge of such introspection. It is the proponents' purpose in submitting this resolution to initiate a deliberative process whereby all traditional membership requirements will be examined, where positions will be studied and recommendations made to sustain a robust BSA program for future generations. It is the proponents' view that without such a deliberative process, membership standards may ultimately be dictated by the courts or by the most powerful or most vocal among BSA's constituencies. Further delay in addressing this issue may result in the diminution of Scouting's leadership as one of the nation's most effective character-building programs for youth. Implementation Suggestions Following are suggestions for the composition and operation of the commission. These suggestions should not be construed to in any way limit or restrict the National Council, BSA in establishing its own criteria for the commission or to in any way limit the commission from establishing its own procedural rules: 1. The commission should consist of representatives from various BSA constituencies, particularly those which have had sustained involvement in the traditional program. 2. Membership on the commission should consist of men and women in leadership positions in business, government, professions and such other persons the board deems appropriate. 3. The commission should examine the consequences of maintaining present membership requirements upon chartered organizations, future financial support, public school cooperation, use of public facilities for meetings and camping, United Way support and such other issues the commission may deem appropriate. 4. The commission should examine the scientific and medical basis for the determination of sexual orientation and the effect of homosexual orientation upon youth in dealing with their own sexuality. It should seek objective expert opinions and review available medical and scientific literature and current religious doctrine. 5. The commission should examine the moral and religious basis for defining homosexuality as a moral issue and the effect upon BSA if homosexuals are admitted into membership. The commission should be staffed with personnel from the National BSA Office and an appropriate budget should be appropriated for meeting and travel expense and other expenses incidental to its work. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com =================================================================== From: SARATOGANY@aol.com Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 18:38:41 EDT Subject: FREE "Responding to Hate at School" (teacher guide) 9/23/99 Msg from: The Coalition for Safer Schools of NYS, PO Box 2345, Malta, NY 12020 Email to: saratogany@aol.com "The Actual or Perceived GLBT Student Protection Project" FREE "Responding to Hate at School - A guide for teachers, counselors and administrators" Per agreement between Jim Carnes, Director, Teaching Tolernace and the Coalition for Safer Schools of NYS, this guide will be provided to NYS PTA parents in addition to teachers, counselors and administrators. Parents must submit their request with "PTA" preceding their name and must use their school's name and address for delivery. Teachers, counselors and administrators should submit their request on school letterhead. Send request to: Teaching Tolerance Southern Poverty Law Center 400 Washington Avenue Montgomery, AL 36104 Fax: 334-264-7310 Excerpts from the guide can be found in the September issue of "Teaching Tolerance". It clearly mentions the anti-gay school issue. The guide is unlike other publication that are quasi inclusive that skate around words like gay, fag, faggot dyke, sexual orientation ect. ================================================================================= Jean Richter -- richter@eecs.berkeley.edu The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) These messages are archived by state on our information-loaded free web site: http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/