Letter to the Editor: Applause
BY Toby Jenkins, Tulsa
Sunday, July 29, 2012
I applaud Associate Editor Mike
Jones’ column denouncing the Boy
Scouts of America’s recent decision
(“It’s not the Scouts I remember,”
July 22). I too was disappointed
to see the Boy Scouts of America’s
leadership once again say that “gay
scouts and gay scout leaders are not
welcome.”
Camp Fire USA and the Girl
Scouts of America have taken a different
approach. They welcome
and value all of our children and
are grateful to have gay parents
involved as volunteers and group
leaders. The Girls Scouts of America
even went the extra mile and
have clearly stated that transgender
children are welcome. America
is growing up and moving toward a
more “perfect union” where equality
for everybody is being realized
only recently for those who identify
as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
At the very least, Boy Scouts need
to drop the “America” in the name.
They would be more truthful if
they called the organization “The
Boy Scouts for Bigots” or “The Boy
Scouts for Bullies.”
Editor’s note: Jenkins is executive
director of the Oklahomans for
Equality and The Dennis R. Neill
Equality Center.
Letters to the editor are encouraged. Send letters to letters@tulsaworld.com.
