Gotta say, Obama standing rather tall for equality from his position as sitting president

[Divine Discontent]

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/08/13185136-obama-opposes-boy-scouts-policy-banning-gays?threadId=3537312&commentId=68735268#c68735268

President Barack Obama opposes a controversial Boy Scouts' policy banning gay Scouts and leaders, the White House said Wednesday.
Follow @mimileitsinger

White House spokesman Shin Inouye said in a statement that Obama believes the Boy Scouts of America has helped to educate and build character in boys. “He also opposes discrimination in all forms, and as such opposes this policy that discriminates on basis of sexual orientation,” according to the statement, which was first reported by the Washington Blade.

The comments come three weeks after the Boy Scouts, a private organization, said it would keep the policy following a nearly two-year confidential review of it that began in 2010.

“The Boy Scouts of America respects the opinions of President Obama and appreciates his recognition that Scouting is a valuable organization," BSA spokesman Deron Smith said in an email to NBC News. "We believe that good people can personally disagree on this topic and still work together to accomplish the common good.”

-----------


Sides can argue if he should commenting about private groups actions, but the fact is, he's standing up strongly for equality, and letting it be known he believes no one should be discriminated against in any form. That's the "President Obama" I hoped we'd get...



Get It Here ------>
http://www.zazzle.com/mitt_romney_isnt_the_solution_hes_the_problem_bu-128173243773334913?rf=238107662556833486

[No Elephants]

1. I have reservations about exposing gay people to the Scouts.

I would prefer to protect them from that.

Why is all the publicity always about the boy scouts? What about the girl scouts? Something tells me they are just as homophobic.

[Divine Discontent]

2. it's all about men, doncha know?

ha!

and, yeah, not sure that being in today's Boy Scouts is a good thing for a young man with their rank homophobia. My friend said her husband's close friend is a scout leader with one of his kids in it, and he's really a nice guy, but he's for the ban, and yet is a huge broadway fan, and is always imitating gay culture, and has been accused (because they meant it to be disparaging by asking) of being gay by some of his coworkers, so he doesn't go to shows anymore. I tell ya, I just don't get the homophobia, but we know why it is so frustrating, because it's without merit to hate. I agree though, there's better things to put your sons & daughters energy into.

[No Elephants]

4. OMG. I like broadway shows, too!

I meant I'd want to keep gays away from them because they seem RW and militaristic to me. So, I really want to keep everyone away from them, regardless of orientation, but I was trying to make a joke of it.

But, to be serious for a minute: i think most people form their political loyalties from a young age. If you think about all the RW does with young kids--and all the things Democrats don't do with young kids--it's not comforting.

There are organizations like scouts and others, church youth groups, all those books for very young kids that the Bush and Cheney women and others have been writing, the infiltration of schools by offering to teach things like history for free, etc. etc.

Reminds me of "Tomorrow Belongs to Me," Republican edition. (There I go with those Broadway shows!)

I, too, have thought a lot about homophobia and have some theories about its origins, but nothing that makes total sense. However, today, I think it is all about the partnership that the political right was able to form with evangelicals (originally) after the Roe v. Wade decision. And so we have what a friend calls neo theocrats, or neo theos.

[Leopolds Ghost]

3. This is an easy one.

What's hard is hearing that your family's church in the family home town nearly voted to disaffiliate (and the half the congregation who left tried to keep old ladies from voting to stay in the church) over ordaining gay pastors -- mind you they were already open to gay pastors for quite some time, and this is a Protestant church so straight pastors are not celibate and are even encouraged to bring more humans onto this earth, which I'm not sure is a good idea right now.


Not me, but...

Then again, I'm barely Protestant any more. I'm more of an Anabaptist...