LINDA VALDEZ

Boy Scouts only pretend to end discrimination

Linda Valdez
opinion columnist
Badges on a Boy Scout uniform

The Boy Scouts earned a "Two-steps Backward" badge. They lifted the ban on gay Scout leaders, but added an escape clause that says discrimination is still OK. In the name of God, of course. Unfortunately, they didn't even please the God squad.

Their justification is the same one used by those who push "right to refuse service" laws. And it's just as insidious.

The Boy Scouts of America resolution says "no adult applicant . . . may be denied . . . based on sexual orientation." Sounds good.

But the Boy Scouts' resolution also builds a bridge to Bigots-ville.

In an effort to be "deeply respectful," the resolution allows each local troop and council "to reach its own religious and moral conclusions" about "values."

In other words, if you think discrimination is fine, you can go ahead and discriminate against gay leaders – in the name of religion.

How about being deeply respectful of the right of individuals? Doing that means condemning discrimination against people based on sexual orientation. Without exceptions.

The Boy Scouts are acting like an organization tied to the past. This will not help them shake the image of an anachronistic organization that's losing membership for good reason.

The "religious" argument has been used before to uphold discrimination against people who wanted to sit at the lunch counter or marry across racial lines.

It's a dodge. It's a throwback.

Ironically, it didn't please some of the religious groups for whom the exclusion was built, either. The Mormon Church put out a statement saying it was "deeply troubled" by what the Boy Scouts did and that its "century-long association with Scouting would need to be examined."

The Boy Scouts' have-it-both-ways approach only works as an example of why federal laws need to be expanded to protect the civil rights of gays and lesbians in the workplace, housing and other areas.

It also shows why we need to add sexual orientation to Arizona's anti-discrimination laws.

Discrimination against people because of who they are is wrong.

There should be no escape clause.