Alan Keyes: The Boy Scouts Will Soon Issue "Gay Sex" Merit Badges

I wrote earlier this week that the Boy Scouts of America are mulling over a policy change that, if approved, would allow local BSA troops the option of allowing gay scouts and leaders. Of course, the other end of that debate is that local BSA troops would still be offered the option of banning gay scouts and leaders. The BSA was expected to officially announce their decision about whether or not to enact this change today; however, it turns out that they have decided to push off this decision until May 2013.

Despite the fact that BSA troops would still be allowed the option of kicking out gay- or bi-identified scouts and leaders, lots of social conservatives are not happy with any plan that would allow any inclusive corners within the BSA. I was listening to one particular debate on the radio yesterday where a proponent of the current anti-gay policy asserted that banning gays was a "core value" of the Boy Scouts and it would destroy the BSA if they did away with that particular core value.

I am not terribly invested in the Boy Scouts. I was a Cub Scout briefly and my youngest son was a Cub Scout for one semester before deciding that he preferred to break boards with his hands in a local Tae Kwon Do club. I understand that the BSA is a private group. I dislike it when people get mad at advocates of inclusive scouts because it "punishes the kids". I had a lesbian friend tell me that one. Excuse me, but what about the kids who have gotten booted from the Scouts or whose parents have been told that they are too morally corrupt to lead their troops? But I support their right to keep us out and I gladly stay away from the BSA. So I haven't paid too much attention to those reacting negatively to this proposed policy change.

But this was too hard to ignore. Thrice-failed presidential candidate Alan Keyes offered his thoughts on this proposed policy change. He, of course, opposes any LGBT-inclusivity within the BSA. However, his predictions of what will follow an inclusive BSA was too, too much:

Keyes claimed that in time there would be merit badges for scouts for experimenting in gay sex. ‘On many campuses now, refusal to experiment with homosexuality is frowned upon as a sign of bigotry, so henceforth in Scouting braking down this prejudice would be recognized as a meritorious activity,’ Keyes claimed. 'Though camouflaged in different words there will be a merit badge for this experimentation as part of the regime of homosexual indoctrination.’

I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure that the BSA does not offer merit badges for experimentation in heterosexual sex so a "gay sex" badge is not going to happen. Ever. In fact, the only thing that will change if/when the BSA allows gay and bi folks as members and leaders is that the BSA will allow gay and bi folks as members and leaders.