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Activist Groups Urge Obama to Reject Boy Scout Honor
From Fox News:
Activist groups, including Scouting for All, urge President Obama not to accept the honorary Presidency of the Boy Scouts of America until they stop discriminating.
Scouting for All is a 100% Volunteer 501-(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization. Every dollar donated goes toward our education and advocacy programs, and is tax deductible.
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UNITED WAY OF THE (San Francisco) BAY AREA AND THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
(Anti discrimination statement)
History and Status of Relationship
Position Statement
In 1992, The United Way Board of Directors voted to discontinue providing the Boy Scouts with money from the Community
Impact Fund, because the Boy Scouts did not meet The United Way s long-standing policy of non-discrimination. This
policy states:
Every person in our community is of value and has the right to pursue his/her personal goals and aspirations;
Every person deserves to have access to the resources that help him/her grow to his/her greatest potential; Therefore,
United Way does not fund any agency or program that discriminates on the basis of race, creed, religion, color,
sex, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, veteran status, national origin, or age.
United Way's current position is as follows:
United Way of the Bay Area (UWBA) accepts requests for grants on a year-round basis. Using an open, competitive
proposal process, grants are awarded to programs that demonstrate measurable results that build healthy and safe
communities. Currently, United Way has no grant application for program funding from any Boy Scout council pending
at this time.
United Way of the Bay Area is dedicated to youth. If a proposal were received, the request for funding would be
addressed in the same manner as all requests.
Contributors to United Way are able to designate their contribution to any individual tax-exempt organization.
This includes any particular council of the Boy Scouts.
UPDATE
In June of 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts of America has the right to set its own standards
for membership and leadership. The decision addressed the issue of whether the Boy Scouts, a private membership
organization, can exclude homosexuals from serving as troop leaders. The court ruled that forcing the Boy Scouts
to accept gay troop leaders would violate the organization s rights of free expression and free association under
the Constitution's First Amendment.
The Supreme Court s decision does not impact United Way of the Bay Area's longstanding policy of non-discrimination.
Rev. 8/00
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