My first reaction when I heard that the Boy Scouts had decided to admit gays was "Oh, God." Not because I don't believe that gay kids can't be good Scouts--I think that they can--but because of all of the fallout that is going to happen. And unfortunately I won't be able to avoid it. I belong to a service club which sponsors the local troop so I have a pretty good idea of what kind of nastiness is about to erupt. To say that my fellow club members are opposed to this decision is putting it mildly. The Boy Scouts have got themselves a real hot potato on this one.
I have to say I am a little uneasy about this myself. In principle, I believe in fairness to all, and in theory at least, don't see any reason why someone's sexual orientation should be an issue. In theory. But we are talking adolescents here, not adults. Here is what I see is the problem:
As someone who knows what it is like to be on the receiving end of unwanted sexual advances, I can certainly sympathize with those in the Scouts who are leery of gays joining their organization. Teens especially are not good at impulse control. Sad to say, I do know of at least one incident that had to be dealt with by Scout leadership that was potentially very serious due to its nature. This particular incident as far as I know did not have anything to do with the sexual orientation of any of the individuals involved and I really can't say anything more about it. However, the potential for trouble is there.
Specifically what I can see happening is some confused youngster who has no sense of boundaries (sexual or other) making an advance to one of his troop mates. Don't say it won't or can't happen. It happens quite frequently between heterosexuals, where it is called sexual harassment. This advance won't be well received and all hell will break loose. Or someone could claim that so-and-so who is known to be gay made a pass at him and again all hell will break out. Remember we are dealing with teens and preteens here, not adults. I've seen enough in theater to know what this age group is like. Most kids are pretty decent, but you do have a few who just have no sense of boundaries and that is where the trouble begins.
It's not so much the sexual orientation that I am concerned about as it is the behavior. This is where a few bad apples can really ruin it as far as gay Scouts are concerned. I am not sure that it is a good idea to declare oneself openly gay at that age anyway. If sexual orientation has nothing to do with one's ability to be a Scout, then why make a big deal about it?
So to the first generation of openly gay Boy Scouts: Welcome. You have a tremendous responsibility. Like it or not, you will be on display. And what you do or don't do will make a big impact on how society perceives gays.
I have to say I am a little uneasy about this myself. In principle, I believe in fairness to all, and in theory at least, don't see any reason why someone's sexual orientation should be an issue. In theory. But we are talking adolescents here, not adults. Here is what I see is the problem:
As someone who knows what it is like to be on the receiving end of unwanted sexual advances, I can certainly sympathize with those in the Scouts who are leery of gays joining their organization. Teens especially are not good at impulse control. Sad to say, I do know of at least one incident that had to be dealt with by Scout leadership that was potentially very serious due to its nature. This particular incident as far as I know did not have anything to do with the sexual orientation of any of the individuals involved and I really can't say anything more about it. However, the potential for trouble is there.
Specifically what I can see happening is some confused youngster who has no sense of boundaries (sexual or other) making an advance to one of his troop mates. Don't say it won't or can't happen. It happens quite frequently between heterosexuals, where it is called sexual harassment. This advance won't be well received and all hell will break loose. Or someone could claim that so-and-so who is known to be gay made a pass at him and again all hell will break out. Remember we are dealing with teens and preteens here, not adults. I've seen enough in theater to know what this age group is like. Most kids are pretty decent, but you do have a few who just have no sense of boundaries and that is where the trouble begins.
It's not so much the sexual orientation that I am concerned about as it is the behavior. This is where a few bad apples can really ruin it as far as gay Scouts are concerned. I am not sure that it is a good idea to declare oneself openly gay at that age anyway. If sexual orientation has nothing to do with one's ability to be a Scout, then why make a big deal about it?
So to the first generation of openly gay Boy Scouts: Welcome. You have a tremendous responsibility. Like it or not, you will be on display. And what you do or don't do will make a big impact on how society perceives gays.
