On the day the Boy Scouts of America agreed to allow openly gay members, some feel the organization this has a big step to take.
For Maya Goehring of Alameda, it’s clear that the BSA need to allow gay adult leaders.
“I’m really excited that the Boy Scouts took a huge step forward, but they need to take a giant leap next,” Maya Goehring said. “Part of the question that comes up now is what happens when a scout becomes an eagle and turns 18 and wants to help at his son’s brother’s boy scout pack and can’t because he came out as being gay and at 18 you’re done.”
That’s something she wishes she didn’t have to explain to her 7-year-old son.
“I want my son to be proud of the organization he’s a part of,” Goehring said.
The Boys Scouts of America voted Thursday to end a long-standing policy which banned openly gay youth from participating.
National scout president William Perry said Thursday that kids are better off in a scouting and that the organization wants every kid to have a place where they can learn and grow and feel protected.
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John Stemberger, founder of onmyhonor.net, a coalition of members of the Boy Scouts of American released the following statement:
“The vote today to allow open and avowed homosexuality into scouting will completely transform it into an unprincipled and risky proposition for parents. It is truly a sad day for scouting.”
Goehring looks at the decision this way:
“We are looking at scouting alternatives and starting other groups here in Alameda specifically that allow kids to have that awesome experience of being a scout, but without all the politics,” Goehring said.
