Boy Scouts: Social Justice Demands Protection of Children

As a former homosexual who was sexually molested as a child, I urge the Boy Scouts of America to reinforce their policy prohibiting homosexuals as Scout leaders entrusted with the care of impressionable young boys and teens. 

Boy Scout leaders are exactly that—leaders. Boys watch them very closely. Boys also look up to older Boy Scout members and want to imitate them and follow their examples. Boys at that stage of maturity emulate male role models. A homosexual who gently eases boys and young men into exposure of homosexuality by his own personal example promotes homosexual behavior as normal, natural and healthy. This paves the way for youth to question their own sexuality and be affirmed into homosexuality. Promoting homosexuality to youth is also a political ploy to further homosexual approval. 

Like the Catholic Church hierarchy, the Boy Scouts have a history of hushing up and settling sexual molestation cases brought by boys under their care. The book, Scout’s Honor by investigative reporter Patrick Boyle, revealed 1,800 cases in which Scout leaders had been dismissed for abusing boys. And two years ago, a jury awarded $18.5 million to a man abused by a Scoutmaster. 

My own sexual molestation as a youth was a contributing factor to my homosexual behavior as I got older. I left homosexuality only when I saw more than 100 of my friends die of AIDS. I regret all those years of living homosexually—time wasted when I could have been dating and experiencing a relationship with a woman, gotten married, and raised children together. But sexual molestation and homosexuality raped me of those precious years, which should have been the best years of my life. 

Today, I should be able to look at my children’s faces and see reflections of my wife. Instead, I am fighting heterophobic legislation initiated by the gay lobby, which would prevent children molested by homosexuals from seeking heterosexual counseling. Gay activists like the Human Rights Campaign and the Southern Poverty Law Center demand equality while denying equality to the ex-gay community, but denying children access to full mental health care is outrageous and perverted. 

To insist that homosexuals be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts while demanding that heterosexual counseling for molested children be outlawed is a gross miscarriage of justice. What do the Boy Scouts have to say about this injustice? 

No matter what precautions the Boy Scouts put in place so that open homosexuals can participate, such safeguards will never be enough. It’s like installing smoke alarms, fire ladders, and extinguishers in your home. Yes, if there’s a fire, a family may survive and get out of a burning house. But the best thing would be to not light the match in the first place. 

As an ex-gay man, my personal message to the board of directors of the Boy Scouts of America is this: 

Dear Messrs. Randall L. Stephenson, James S. Turley, Nathan S. Rosenberg, Wayne Perry, Wayne Brock, Alf Tuggle, Gary P. Butler, Tico Perez, and others, 

It seems that one or more of your major corporate donors is pressuring you, and others are bullying you, to change the Boy Scout policy to admit homosexuals. This corporate donor is concerned about “discrimination” and knows many nice gays who he is certain would never look at a child sexually. 

I, too, was one of those nice gays. But I was also one of those nice children who was molested. Please do without some corporate funding if you must, cut your budget and protect the children in your care. One case of child sexual molestation is one case too many. 

Money with dangerous conditions attached is not a donation—it’s a bribe.

Greg Quinlan is president of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX), provides outreach, education, and public awareness in support of families and the ex-gay community.