Vacation Repost: The Boy Scouts Kicked Greg Bourke Out .... The Girl Scouts Celebrate Him

originally posted Wednesday, September 19, 2012

I am just about as disgusted with the boy Scouts of America as I am with the Catholic Church. Both groups seem to have this notion that being gay is bad, yet being a pedophile warrants special treatment and dispensation.

The latest story of the BSA is that they have kicked out a local Scout leader, Greg Bourke, because he's :::gasp::: gay--funny, had Greg been a pedophile,m he would have had no problems, I guess. 

Bourke, who has raised two children involved in scouting with his partner of 30 years,has started a petition at Change.org after the Lincoln Heritage Council learned he is gay and removed him from of his role in the organization.

In a statement about the campaign, Greg said, "For the past five years, I've dedicated my time and energy to the Boy Scouts of America and to my community -- and I've loved every minute of it. In return, the Boy Scouts of America has decided to fire me for being honest about who I am and for loving my partner of 30 years. I launched my petition with the hope of turning this hurtful situation into something positive… If enough of us speak out, I know the Lincoln Heritage Council will join the growing list of councils that have decided to reject the Boy Scouts' discriminatory policy."

And, here's a little bit of irony. In addition to, at one time anyway, being a Scout leader for his sons, Greg Bourke is also a leader in his daughter's Girl Scout Troop. And when the Girl Scouts of America found out that Greg Bourke is gay, they said, "Meh."

Well, maybe that's what i think they said, but what they really said is that Greg's sexual orientation makes no difference to the GSA or to his standing with his daughter's troop. In fact, Girl Scout leaders at Our Lady of Lourdes condemned Bourke’s ouster from the Boy Scouts, and co-leader Kim Haydon wrote to the BSA last month, saying that to “discount all that [Greg Bourke] has done for our youth only because he is gay is absurd. Shame on you and your small mindedness.”

Suh-nap.

Too bad the BSA can't be as strong-minded, and open-minded, and welcoming as the GSA.

To sign Greg Bourke's petition asking to be reinstated, head on over to Change.org.

via GLAAD