Donors debate further Scout aid

By Jordana Hart, Globe Staff
The Boston Globe

June 30, 2000

US Supreme Court ruling this week that the Boy Scouts of America can exclude gays has prompted churches, public agencies, civic groups, and corporate donors in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to debate whether to continue their support.

"I know that our volunteer leadership will probably be in discussion with Scout leadership to review this," said Carmen Fields, spokeswoman for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. The organization donated almost $300,000 to Boy Scout councils across the state this year, and is slated to do much the same next year.

"As this issue has come to the fore, we have been assured that the councils embrace a policy that prohibits discrimination in accordance with state law," she said. "We need those assurances before we give to them."

Boy Scout membership has grown nationwide from 4.3 million in 1997 to nearly 5 million, even as its legal efforts to oust gay leaders and gay youths in various states have disenchanted religious groups and corporate donors.

Some cities such as Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Chicago have severed ties with the Scouts, or are looking to block them from using public buildings for meetings.

And the United Methodist Church, which sponsors 15 percent of Scout troops across the country, said it would encourage its congregations to sever ties because of the ruling.

In Rhode Island, CVS Corp., Textron Inc., and The Providence Journal Co., publisher of The Providence Journal-Bulletin newspaper, have decided not to contribute to this year's fund-raising dinner for the Rhode Island Scouts.

"We have a firm non-discriminatory policy at CVS and this means we can't provide charitable contributions to organizations with discriminatory policies," said company spokesman Todd Andrews, adding that the drugstore chain has normally given the Scouts $5,000 a year.

In its 5-4 decision Wednesday, the Supreme Court said the Scouts can ban gay members because opposition to homosexuality is part of the private organization's "expressive message."

The high court rejected a New Jersey appellate decision that a state anti-discrimination law required a New Jersey troop to re-admit an assistant scoutmaster after dismissing him for being gay.

In Massachusetts, members of the Unitarian Church of Hudson and Marlboro decided in 1998 to continue the church's 80-year sponsorship of a Boy Scout troop even though the church has been a staunch defender of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people.

"We thought we would have a greater effect on the Boy Scouts by staying with them rather than casting them out," said the Rev. Stephen Cook. "I don't believe [the church] will have another discussion about this. The onus is on the Scouts to change."

Yesterday, the civil rights and public charities divisions of the Massachusetts attorney general's office were trying to determine if the Supreme Court ruling will have an effect on the state's anti-bias rules with regard to charitable giving to the Boy Scouts.

Authorities said it was too soon to tell if cities and towns across the state will feel pressure to re-examine the tradition of allowing Scouts to meet in public facilities.

Scout leaders yesterday said any action against the organization will seriously affect Scout councils such as Old Colony in Canton, which has 12,000 young members and 4,000 adult volunteers in Brockton and 40 other communities.

Most of the Scout troops in that region are sponsored by churches, schools, or civic groups such as the Weymouth Heights Men's Club or the United Church of Christ in Canton.

This story ran on page B05 of the Boston Globe on 6/30/2000.
© Copyright 2000 Globe Newspaper Company.

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