How ironic, I thought, as I opened the front door and held back my vicious, snarling, cockapoo, lest he tear these insensitive intruders to pieces. They stood there, smug little ten year olds in their ridiculous faux-military get-ups, patches on their chests for knot-tying or some other useless skill, waiting to ask whomever answered if they’d like to buy tickets to their pancake breakfast, or just out-right give them some cash. How could they possibly know they’d picked the wrong house this time, that the owner’s son was one of those, the unnatural ones that aren’t allowed in their silly little club because they’re an affront to all that’s good and wholesome in America. How could they expect what would come next, a torrent of hate-speech – ‘what the fuck do you want, you pathetic, homophobic little Klansmen?’ I screamed at them. They froze, mouths gone suddenly dry, lower lips beginning to quiver. “You piss-drinking, dirty god-damned sphincters, how dare you stand on my porch and ask me for anything?” I bellowed. Then they each let out a raspy cry and turned and bolted for the street, howling in fear until their voices faded away and all I could hear were their sneakered feet pounding the pavement.
Nah, come on. I’m a grown up. A responsible grown up – a human being, I believe. I would never subject innocent young people to such nastiness, such vitriol, such hatred. To be, dare I say it, a Scoutmaster. But there is such a temptation to fight wickedness with wickedness, trade absurdity for absurdity. That an organization that is iconically tied to altruism – metaphorically to the point of helping old ladies cross a busy street – would practice exclusion in the name of righteousness is just so distasteful that it practically begs to be treated with all the scorn society can muster. I thought about simply explaining to these kids why I could never give my support to them – that their organization has a long history of anti-gay discrimination, that even when faced with a swelling tide of public opinion that their stance is unfair, their national leadership could get no further than a lukewarm ruling that essentially decentralizes that discrimination without disavowing it – but they were staring up at me with their innocent young faces and I just couldn’t do it.
One by one, institutions that in the past openly discriminated against gays are recognizing the need to at least nod to the notion that one’s sexual orientation is but a small part of who they are, and not a just cause for unequal treatment or exclusion. Popular media has changed, churches are changing, the Boy Scouts of America (which by the way, has probably been referred to by non-Boy Scouts as “so gay” on more than one occasion) is eventually going to change. There has never been an unsuccessful civil rights movement in this country. Once the train gets moving, eventually it will get to the station, and it feels like the train for gay rights is finally moving. Maybe one day even the Boy Scouts will be on board. After all, the central phrase of their oath says ‘to help other people at all times’. Hey, here’s an idea – make a merit badge for tolerance.
loveandadvocacy 