Roberta Sergant
An opportunity presents itself. A change is eminent for the Culver City Scout Hut, located on Culver Boulevard on property owned by the City of Culver City. A nonprofit organization called the Friends of the CC Scout Hut has offered the City $120,000 to update the facility that is primarily shared by the Boy Scouts and the CC Rock and Mineral Club. Our CC City Council is interested in accepting these funds and continuing their ongoing relationship with these organizations, and the other renters who will meet/store equipment in this City owned facility.
According to the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act of Title IX of the No Child Left Behind law, it is illegal for any school facility to deny access (specifically) to the Boy Scouts of America. Within this law it states that this also precludes denying access "including denying such access or opportunity or discriminating for reasons based on the membership or leadership criteria or oath of allegiance to God and country of the BSA or of the youth group." Interesting. Educational institutions have been prohibited from the exclusion of the BSA from meeting in schools, and yet, the BSA national policy maintains its right to exclude homosexuals from leadership in their organization.
This leads me to ask: Isn't it time for the City of Culver City to minimize their complicity with this policy? Yes, the BSA does great work with the heterosexual male youngsters in their organization. Yes, I was a Committee Chairperson and my husband was a Den Leader for our son's Pack/Troop and we were supporters of this work. But awareness has grown, and times have changed, and, hopefully, Don't Ask, Don't Tell has gone the way of other anti-civil rights laws.
Yet, in 1994 BSA policy stated: "We do not allow for the registration of avowed homosexuals as members or as leaders of the BSA."
In 2004 the BSA adopted a Youth Leadership Policy that stated: "Boy Scouts of America believes that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the obligations in the Scout Oath and Scout Law to be morally straight and clean in thought, word, and deed. The conduct of youth members must be in compliance with the Scout Oath and Law, and membership in Boy Scouts of America is contingent upon the willingness to accept Scouting's values and beliefs. Most boys join Scouting when they are 10 or 11 years old. As they continue in the program, all Scouts are expected to take leadership positions. In the unlikely event that an older boy were to hold himself out as homosexual, he would not be able to continue in a youth leadership position."
Scouting for All is an organization that advocates the maintenance of a relationship with the BSA, while requiring adherence to the same non-discriminatory policies that our city maintains. In other words, our local BSA chapter must disavow their national mandate to screen out male scouts and male and female leaders who are homosexuals.
I have been assured by former Culver City Parks and Recreation Director Bill La Pointe that "currently the City of Culver City is in the Process of evaluating its rental fees and agreements. An aspect of this evaluation is to ensure that all entities and persons are treated fairly and equally. Of course, this will be true regarding any agreement that is negotiated with the Boy Scout(s)." I very much look forward to a public/open airing of this agreement, prior to it becoming "fait accompli."
Only one of our Councilmen took the time to respond to my request for acceptance of non-discrimination policies by all renters of the Hut. Councilman Cooper is willing to take a second look at the lease renewal. He and I agree that the Scouts do a great job with the boys who join/participate. I reminded him to consider those who are excluded, as well. We could start by calling this facility the Culver City Community Hut.
Roberta Sergant is a teacher at the El Marino Language School.
I definitely agree that the government of Culver City should end its ties with an organization that discriminates against our homosexual youth. Thank you for bringing up this issue and suggesting the creation of a non-discrimination policy at a time when the City is reassessing lease renewals. I'm ashamed that our relationship with the WMCA has lasted so long. I can only imagine how painful and how hurtful it must be for a child to be excluded from an activity that is open to all his other male classmates. And what lesson does it teach the children?
ReplyDeleteEleanor Osgood
I am still awaiting a response from our elected city officials as to whether a non discrimination policy will be mandated. I am hopeful that YMCA and church/temple members will also apply pressure for the creation of such policies at the other venues that host the Boy Scouts. It is the least that we can do as active community members.
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