In response to your article “Out and a Scout” (Nov. 14), I, an Eagle Scout, would like to address a few issues that were omitted. The issue of homosexual scoutmasters runs much deeper than the moral objection on the surface. For one, a scout’s parents have a legitimate objection to allowing a homosexual to have unlimited access to their boy four to six times a month, especially on overnight camp-outs.
In comparison, nobody would think twice if the Girl Scouts did not permit men to accompany girls on their camping excursions for the sole reason of sexuality. I note here that not every homosexual would necessarily attempt anything sexual with the boys, just as heterosexuals would probably leave the girls alone. However, the fact remains that parents have the right to intervene when their instincts tell them that their little Johnny is in a place where he might be in danger.
Here’s an example: Did your mother ever tell you that you couldn’t go to little Bobby or Susie’s house because she felt uncomfortable? Did your dad ever forbid you from going to the park with your friends because the area was questionable? Did anything bad ever happen at Bobby’s house or at the park? No, but parents still have the right to keep their children out of a place where they are in a potentially dangerous situation and their parents would not be there to defend their children in the event of something bad happening.
I reiterate that homosexuals are not necessarily bad people and that they have the potential to be just as good at leading scouts as heterosexuals, but the fact remains that when children are involved, it is the parents’ rights we must respect.
Evan Villarrubia (CAS ‘06)
