Where To Draw the Line

When I started this blog, I wanted it to be humorous and fun but it seems to be turning into a place where “who I am” is becoming clearer and clearer. The recent Boy Scouts tag sale is a great example. The sale itself was awesome. By the day, the site became loaded with items brought in for sale and on sale day, the signs were up, the cars filled the roads nearby, and by all accounts it was a success. The Boy Scouts are clearly a focus in this town, a place the community backs wholeheartedly. But should they?

The Boy Scouts have come under fire lately for their entrenched position against openly gay Scout leaders. Their rationale is that the young men under their leadership will become “prey,” that they won’t receive the well-rounded experience they would under a straight leader. I know that many agree with this, and it has been the cause for many heated conversations lately. To my mind, a perv is a perv. They’re in our classrooms, coaching on our playing fields, walking down the street, and yes, saying mass on Sundays. Being gay is not a prerequisite for perversion. In fact, many of the worst in our communities are not gay at all. More importantly, if we’re going to restrict gay men from being Scout leaders, then why are they not restricted from being teachers, coaches, fitness instructors, after-school leaders and… well, the list goes on.

The bottom line for me is that if you as an organization or company dictate the “kind” of people who will work for you, then it better be because your “kind” means hard-working, loyal, responsible, reliable, creative, or dependable. If not, then you’re not my “kind” of company/organization.