Well, I think we’ll have to agree to disagree. Yes, the organizational leadership has some really unfortunate policies, and they need to change. I fully support and cheer on the Eagle Scouts who have thus far turned in their Eagle Awards, thereby making a stand. If my son chooses to leave the Scouts to take a similar stand I will support him as well.
But I stand by my points that:
It is just as important for people to work from within in order to get the change you want to see. Having people scream from the outside doesn’t accomplish as much.
Not all of the Scouts, or the leaders, are bigoted, homophobic, nature-destroying jerks, and your broad generalizations to that effect serve nothing.
I will also say that just because a generalization is “widely-accepted” does not make it right or good. It’s widely-accepted in some parts that gays and lesbians shouldn’t be allowed to get married. Doesn’t make it any better.
My knowledge is a bit dated (I aged out in the early 90s), but in my experience the top brass and the local scoutmasters had little to no interaction. The biggest worry would be changes to the handbook and other materials, but in day to day operations you wouldn’t even know that it’s all LDS at the top.
This of course means that troops can vary in tone quite a lot. Many were just basically hiking/camping clubs for boys while others were a lot more…spiritual. And of course if you don’t agree with your local troop you can always start your own. Scout leaders are volunteers, and there aren’t many requirements for becoming one.
Leaving aside the original tête-à-tête, that’s really not how that works. When GSM-rights (gender and sexual minorities) activists commit enough acts of violence against members of the BSA that boy scouts fear wearing their badges in public, when GSM-rights activists get the BSA outlawed and make it so scouts can’t get hired in some states, maybe then you’ll have a start on GSM-rights activists being as discriminatory as the BSA is. Maybe.
You can’t go “this subset of people A has successfully made it so people A as a whole are oppressing people B but people B were mean (nana-nana-boo-boo) in response so now we’re all even.” It doesn’t work that way.
Well, having watched loads of Hollywood movies so far they do have the mentality, “shoot first ask question later”, or “I am a mofing USA citizen, I do what I please, you can drop dead or aerify”.
So this doesn’t surprise me at all.
In Hollywood movies all damaged cars explode, angels and the judeo-christian deity regularly interact with humans in broad daylight, the President is either a totally noble and selfless man or a completely evil poltroon, American high school students are smarter than European scientists and more athletic than terrorists and professional soldiers, and werewolves and vampires have a higher population than people of Native American descent.
Actually, you’re not that far off. Being part of the BSA often feels more like have a franchise at times. You’re required to do training… but each Troop or Pack is fairly independent. In many ways, you are more beholding to your charter organization (the local group that is responsible for you) than the Boy Scout administration. Some troops vet their leaders. Some take whomever they can get.
Having said that, the BSA is fairly inclusive of all religions. Having faith is a big deal to them-- not so much what that faith is. Yes, they do “exclude” Atheists… but many Packs and Troops tend to operate on a “don’t ask, don’t tell” basis. It tends to be the local groups and even some Councils that act as if it is the right-hand of a Judeo-Christian blonde-haired blue-eyed Jesus.
