should boy scouts be able to discriminate against homosexuals and get govt charity?

[karyn]

from yahoo

Boy Scouts sue Philadelphia over rent, policy barring gays

By MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 37 minutes ago

PHILADELPHIA - A Boy Scouts chapter engaged in a long fight over gay rights has sued the city of Philadelphia to try to avoid paying $200,000 a year in rent to stay in the city-owned space that has been its headquarters for 80 years.

The Scouts currently pay $1 annually for the space, but the city has given them until Saturday to open their membership to gays or start being charged fair-market rent.

The federal suit filed Friday accuses the city of censorship for targeting the Scouts but maintaining free or nominal leases with other groups that limit membership, such as Baptist and Roman Catholic church groups and The Colonial Dames of America.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that the Boy Scouts, as a private group, have a First Amendment right to bar gays.

However, taxpayers cannot keep subsidizing the rent of a group that discriminates, City Solicitor Shelley Smith said Tuesday.

"They're free to exercise their First Amendment rights," Smith said. "What they're not free to do is get a benefit from the city while violating our policy."

Smith said the city was unaware of any discrimination by other groups with city-subsidized space, but that it would investigate any possible violations.

The Philadelphia chapter adopted an explicit nondiscrimination policy in 2003 after negotiations with the city. But it was forced to rescind it when the Boy Scouts of America said Philadelphia Scout officials could not deviate from national rules barring participation by anyone who is openly gay.

The local chapter, called the Cradle of Liberty Council, then adopted what it considered compromise language that barred "unlawful discrimination" — the same standard used by Scout groups in New York, a council spokesman said Tuesday.

"If that's working and there haven't been any problems, why can't that continue?" spokesman Jeff Jubelirer said.

The city owns the Beaux Arts headquarters constructed by the Scouts in 1928 and the land beneath it. The Scouts have spent about $60,000 a year to maintain the building, and another $1.5 million for renovations in 1994, the suit said.

The Scouts say the higher rent would force them to cut programs, and is equivalent to the cost of sending about 800 needy children to summer camp.

The Cradle of Liberty Council oversees about 300 troops in Philadelphia and suburban Delaware and Montgomery counties. The council serves about 70,000 children, including 50,000 in the city, the suit said.

[drewblood]

i dont know

[OrganizedKhaos]

Why cant ppl just be who they are?

[Morning Glory]

fuck em. we don't need an organization like that brainwashing kids to grow up and hate their bodies and other people. and these bastards are taking our tax dollars too?

I think we should burn down that building.

[Cafe_Post_Mortem]

As was pointed out, the scouts are free to discriminate as a private group. However, their discrimination is in violation of the cities rules. If they feel that other groups discriminate unlawfully, then they should complain to the city.

Personally, if a church group is openly discriminating and getting special subsidies from the city, I would like to see this stop as well. I hope the city follows through.

As far as the scout though, they were willing to change it until the national group stepped in. This does show that, if enough cities did this the scouts would change their rules or splinter a newer, more useful group.

[One Eyed Cat]

Supreme Court found in their favor in the Dale case regarding the barring itself.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-699.ZS.html

Having said that, I do not believe the Scouts should get government subsidies if they violate a city's policies. The city needs to rewrite the statute and eliminate subsidies to *all* groups that bar gay people if that is their intent.

[a_small_death]

They discriminate against gay people yet they let child molesters slide. Does this sound familiar to anyone??

[Bikerpunk]

Fuck, no they shouldn't discriminate.

If they wanna be a private club, then all public charity to them ENDS.

[Mr Karl]

I always thought they were a private club.

[Bikerpunk]

They're a private club when they want to ban atheists and homosexuals.
They're a public charity when they want rent-free places to meet and handouts from the government.

They are mad as hell they can't have their cake and eat it.

[Amelia G]

They're a private club when they want to ban atheists and homosexuals.
They're a public charity when they want rent-free places to meet and handouts from the government.

They are mad as hell they can't have their cake and eat it.

I think that is pretty accurate. I can't think of any reason the Scouts need public funding.

[Bikerpunk]

I think that is pretty accurate. I can't think of any reason the Scouts need public funding.

Well, they couldn't really survive on their own.

And there's the rather disturbing idea some people have that public money should be used to foster a public agenda that certain subsets of society believe are in the public interest.

[OrganizedKhaos]

I'd rather see money go to homeless ppl any day or other NEEDS rather than a bunch of kids learning how to sew or start a fire.

[Head Wreck]

the scouts association here does not get gov. funding, but a lot of perks. but then its open to all here, you even get boys joining the guides and girls joining the scouts.

this makes watching the scouts don't slink of to the guides camps at night a little bit more tricky and vice versa i guess

[OrganizedKhaos]

OIC, thanks for sharing... that's an interesting culture difference.

[Bikerpunk]

I do think kids should have an opportunity to learn to sew, do orienteering, get encouraged to help out in a community, etc. etc.

I think ALL kids should have that.

[Head Wreck]

agreed. unfortunately here health and safety has gotten so tight, another friend who is an ACF leader (army Cadet Force) cant even take the kids out on night ex any more.

me. i loved the scoutsas a kid, and a friend who is a cub scout troop leader once mentioned often the kids are from divorced or seperated families and a few of the mothers have expressed that my mate and the other leaders seem to be the most regular male adult figure in the life of the kid who says no.