Anonymous Boy Scout Employee Speaks Out as Gay Ban Vote Nears: 'I Can't Live a Lie'

Writing today in Time magazine's Swampland blog, an anonymous gay employee of the BSA today described his experience working for the organization and said he will be forced to quit if the ban on gay adults remains in place:

I have hoped for years that the time would come when the ban would be lifted. The Boy Scouts need to catch up to the American people’s view on equality. Boy Scout members span political parties, socioeconomic classes and live in locations as dense as New York City and as rural as Wyoming. A Washington Post – ABC News poll released just this month shows a majority of Americans believe that both gay youth and adults should be allowed to join the Boy Scouts of America.

The proposed resolution to allow openly gay youth is a good first step, but it cannot stop there. If the resolution to repeal the ban on gay Scouts is approved, dedicated gay adult volunteers and employees, like me, will still be kept in the closet, and I will have no choice but to resign. For too many years, I eschewed relationships, felt uncomfortable around co-workers and have been forced to remain cloaked in secrecy. I cannot continue to live in the shadows. It is not healthy, nor is it ethical.

This Thursday, the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America will vote on whether to life the organization's decades-old ban on gay members.  Not surprisingly, activists on both sides of the issue are digging in for a full-throated debate.  The AP reports:

Some conservatives within and outside the BSA community have denounced the proposal, saying the Scouts' traditions would be undermined by the presence of openly gay youth. There have been warnings of mass defections if the ban is even partially lifted.

From the other flank, gay-rights supporters and some Scout leaders from politically liberal areas have welcomed the proposed change as a positive first step, but are calling on the BSA to go further and lift the ban on gay adults as well.

Other portions of the organization are going rogue.

Earlier this month, a Los Angeles Scout unit--the 14th largest in the nation--called for the end of the policy against gay Scout leaders.  And just this week, the president of the Connecticut Yankee Council openly defied the group's policies, writing on the Scout unit's website,:"Scouting in the Connecticut Yankee Council is open to all youth and adults who subscribe to the values of the Scout Oath and Law regardless of their personal sexual orientation."

In January, the BSA proposed a don't ask/don't tell-esque policy that would have allowed individual Scout units to determine whether or not to admit gay members.  The following month, the organization's executive board postponed a vote on the proposal and decided instead to seek comment from its members and put the decision to a larger vote.

The Boy Scouts' new proposal has garnered the support of the Mormon Church, which called it a "thoughtful, good-faith" effort to address the issue of gay scouts.  Yesterday, the Catholic Church issued a statement that stopped short of endorsing the measure but stated that regardless of any change in policy, the church would "strive to maintain [its] ties with the BSA."

Church of Scotland to Allow Gay Clergy in Historic Shift

The Church of Scotland today narrowly approved a rule which would allow gay and lesbian ministers, reports The Guardian:

The church's ruling general assembly voted to allow congregations to admit gay ministers but only if they specifically elect to do so, in a radical departure from more than 450 years of orthodoxy set in train by the protestant reformer John Knox.

Despite the new regulations, the general assembly voted down a proposal that would have made acceptance of gay and lesbian clergy the church's default position by a vote of 340 to 282.  The new rule will effectively decentralize the decision-making process, leaving it to individual congregations to choose whether or not to ordain gay ministers in a system known as a "mixed economy."

According to The Guardian, the new rule will likely not take effect until 2015, and must first be written into church law and approved by next year's general assembly.

The BBC adds that the push for consideration of gay clergy began when the first gay minister was appointed by the church four years ago:

The dilemma faced by the Church of Scotland goes back to 2009, when the openly gay minister Scott Rennie (below) was appointed to the Queen's Cross parish in Aberdeen.

He was backed by most of his congregation and by the General Assembly, but the decision resulted in protest and the break-away of a small number of congregations and ministers.

In 2011, the Church of Scotland's general assembly voted to allow gay and lesbian clergy to remain in their posts, as long as they were either celibate or in civil partnerships.

The church's new rule comes at a time when the debate over marriage equality is in full swing in the UK and the issue of allowing gays to marry in religious ceremonies has caused significant division.  

The UK House of Commons is scheduled to debate the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill today--which would establish marriage equality in England and Wales but not Scotland--although advocates are wary of a last minute push by opponents of marriage equality to include a provision that would extend civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples.  The proposed legislation would allow same-sex couples access to civil marriage ceremonies only, and would bar them from marrying in the Church of England or the Church of Wales.

In December of last year, the Scottish government announced its own draft legislation to legalize marriage equality in the region, and is currently seeking public feedback on the measure.  Under the Scottish proposal, religious institutions would be allowed to "opt in" to wedding gay and lesbian couples.  Up until this point, the Church of Scotland has opposed the marriage equality bill, and while it seems unlikely that will change any time soon, the inclusion of gay clergy is certainly a step towards greater acceptance of the Scottish LGBT community. 

Gay Chinese Teen Arrested, Jailed for Organizing LGBT Rights March: VIDEO

A gay teen has been arrested and jailed for organizing an LGBT rights march in central China, the AP reports:

The man, identified only by his surname Xiang, was detained following the Friday event in the city of Changsha and ordered to serve 12 days in a detention center for organizing an illegal march, according to a notice on the local police's microblog account.

Changsha newspaper Xiaoxiang Morning News quoted Xiang as saying before the march that he hoped it would make people question discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people, and "let more people have a correct understanding of us."

Approximately 80 people took part in the march, which was held on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia.

Watch a news report about the organization of the march, AFTER THE JUMP...

The South China Morning Post adds:

Xiang has been transferred to the Changsha Municipal Detention Centre, said A Qiang, a fellow demonstrator and well-known activist from Guangzhou. Xiang has been active in the local LGBT community since age 14. A Qiang said Xiang had approached police about the protest before it took place on Friday afternoon...

...A Qiang said police did not interfere with the protest, except towards the end, when police approached the protesters, telling them not to shout slogans and impede traffic.

By 2.45am on Saturday, Xiang and three other people were taken away by police from a hotel room they were staying in. All except Xiang were released by the afternoon.

A Qiang said the protest was one of at least 10 across China on Friday. Demonstrations took place in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengsu, and also in second-tier cities such as Nanchang.

He said he did not recall anyone else ever having been but briefly detained for organising such protests.

(images via sohu)

Map Shows State of Human Rights for LGBT People in Europe: PHOTO

ILGA Europe has released an updated map showing the state of human rights for LGBT people in Europe in May 2013. Click to enlarge. The scale goes from dark green (full equality, respect of human rights) to dark red (gross violations of human rights, discrimination).

A Human Rights and LGBT Equality Music Festival for Montana? - VIDEO

Tate Chamberlin is hoping to create a place of pride for Montana's LGBT community with a human rights, equality, and music festival called Interchange, which he's trying to fund through an Indiegogo campaign.

Watch his video, AFTER THE JUMP...

He writes:

In 2011, the Bozeman [Pride] Celebration garnered attendance well over 2,000, which more than doubled in 2012 with upwards of 5,100 attending between downtown and Montana State University events. Out of state attendance showed dynamic growth and the overall feedback from these events showed a majority of positive feedback from sponsors and attendees.

In 2013, Bozeman will be hosting it’s first year of INTERCHANGE: An annual festival celebrating strides in human rights, equality, and the continuing dialogue on a number of important issues. INTERCHANGE will annually evolve as we do, integrating awareness and giving a voice to a number of innovative topics, whether scientific, creative, national performing artists or otherwise so long as they support the evolution and improvement of the causes essential to the spirit of the event.

Gay Couple of 15 Years Challenges Singapore Law Criminalizing Homosexuality: VIDEO

Gary and Kenneth, together for 15 years, are involved in a court appeal challenging Singapore's S377A, a constitutional statute that criminalizes homosexuality. They are raising funds for their case via Indiegogo.

"We shouldn't be treated as criminals just because of our sexual orientation."

Check out their video, AFTER THE JUMP...