Boy Scouts Don't Hire Out Lesbian in Colorado

A 29-year-old lesbian from Denver, CO, applied for a job with the Boy Scouts of America. She went through a couple rounds of interviews and was eventually hired as Director of the New Adventure Center. Then, Yasmine Cassini "read the Scouts manual" and noticed that there aren't any employee protections based on sexual orientation. She then came out to her new employers and asked "is this going to affect me with this position?" It obviously did and the job offer was rescinded:

“The offer was rescinded because I no longer met the minimum qualifications for the position,” Cassini said.

The Boy Scouts require workers to be a member of their organization and adult members are not allowed to be openly gay.

The Boy Scouts would not talk to FOX31 Denver on camera, but the organization released the following statement: “As this is a personnel matter, we are not at liberty to discuss details. But, during the employment process, this individual brought it to our attention that she did not meet the requirements for employment...”

Cassini said she though the Boy Scouts recent youth membership modifications meant the organization was evolving. “I want to raise awareness that discrimination is not OK – and it’s something that is still occurring and it has to stop,” Cassini said. “Something needs to change and that change needs to happen now.”

This whole situation seems like an attention-seeking set-up. Arguably, pretty much all LGBT people who work professionally with children know that the Boy Scouts of America are anti-gay. They have fought for decades to assert their anti-gay credentials. Not only that, but they recently were in the news for softening their membership criteria so that gay teens wouldn't necessarily be kicked out -- at least, not until they turn 18.

Cassini -- judging from her statements -- seemed well aware of their aversion to working with LGBT people. So why apply for this job? If she was aware of their past discriminatory policies against gay people, why not come out during one of her interviews? Why wait to come out until after she got the job?

This is the type of story that just annoys the heck out of me. I don't like it, but the Boy Scouts of America are a private religious organization and they are free to choose or reject their membership as they please. It doesn't help our broader cause to try and force private groups to accept LGBT members and employees against their will. There are other fights to fight and this type of situation just serves as a distraction and something for social conservatives to use against us in the future.