Milwaukee WI United Way Violates Its Own Anti-discrimination Policy By Funding The Local Boy Scouts of America Scout Council:

I Guess The United Way Believes It's All right To discriminate Against GLBTQ and Nontheist Youth And Adults.

Would Milwaukee UW fund The BSA If The BSA Discriminated Against African American Youth And Adults Or Any Other Segment Of Our Society?

The Milwaukee WI U.W. has responded to concerns about discrimination with the following letter:

September 12, 2002

Thank you for your patience in awaiting response to your email requesting more information regarding United Way's funding of the Boy Scouts of America.

In June, the United Way of Greater Milwaukee Board, which is ultimately responsible for all policy-making and funding decisions, unanimously approved to include the local Boy Scouts of America in the 2002 community campaign. The Board
made its decision based on the work and outcomes of a special task force appointed to work with members of the local Boy Scout organizations and members of the gay and lesbian community.

While the Board is disappointed in the national Boy Scout policy, we have been working closely with the local Milwaukee County Boy Scout council. We believe that locally the Boy Scouts are a more inclusive and diverse organization and are working towards change on both the local and national level. United Way will continue to work with and evaluate the Boy Scouts as well as all funded agencies relating to compliance with our Letter of Assurance, including the nondiscrimination policy. United Way will continue to take an approach that is not divisive and that we feel will help bring this community together through positive impact for the broader community.

In answer to your second question, United Way does have a non discrimination policy. The policy reads as follows,
"United Way funds shall not be used for any program or agency that discriminates in the provision of services on the basis of race, color, religion, handicap, age, sex or sexual orientation. This policy does not prohibit any agency from operating specific programs based on age, gender, health or disability designed to meet the special needs of target populations with those characteristics."

Thank you again for your inquiry. I hope the information provided has answered your questions.

Robyn McGill
Media and Community Relations Manager
United Way of Greater Milwaukee
(414)263-8132
rmcgill@uwaymilw.org