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US: Boy Scouts council to vote on lifting ban on gay members
The BSA currently has a national policy banning openly gay members, volunteers and staff. The resolution would lift the national ban, allowing individual scout troops to decide on whether to allow gay members. The resolution leaves in place a ban on gay adult scout leaders.
The BSA announced in April that it would propose to members of its National Council at a meeting in Texas later this month of lifting the ban on gay youth scouts, but maintaining a ban on gay adult leaders. In July 2012, after a two year review, the Boy Scouts of America announced it would retain its ban on gay members, volunteers and staff. Earlier this month, the Western Los Angeles branch of the BSA voiced its opposition to the discriminatory policy.
The council is backing a resolution which states that no youth or adult should be excluded as a leader, volunteer or staff member solely based on their sexual orientation or preference. The Boy Scouts of America is currently embroiled in a debate over whether to lift its ban on gay volunteers, members and staff. In February, it delayed a vote on whether or not to lift the ban until May due to the complexity of the issue .
A poll released in February found that a majority of US voters thought the Boy Scouts of America should drop its ban on gay scouts, volunteers and staff.
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US Boy Scouts President: Allowing gay boy scouts would be the right decision
The BSA is today to put the resolution to its national council of 1,400, who will vote on whether or not to strike down the historic ban on openly gay scouts. The full editorial by Mr Perry, originally published by USA Today is available to read below. The Boy Scouts of America is part of the fabric of this nation.
Our focus is on working together to deliver the nation s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. Somehow, Scouting has become one of the focal points in the debate on homosexuality. However, it is not the role of the Boy Scouts to resolve this complex issue, nor can the decision we will make today.
In 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that the BSA has the right to set its membership standards. It is worth noting that the court s decision was not about whether homosexuality is right or wrong; rather, it affirmed that private organizations have the right to set membership rules based on their beliefs and values. At the BSA s National Annual Meeting today, the 1,400 voting members of our National Council will vote on a proposed resolution that would end the restriction on gay youth membership.
That s the right decision for Boy Scouts. Duty to God Today s proposed resolution reaffirms our core belief in doing one s duty to God. It would remove the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone and would maintain the current membership policy for all adult leaders.
Further, the resolution reinforces that Scouting is a youth program, and that any sexual conduct, heterosexual or homosexual, is contrary to the virtues of Scouting. It also prohibits the use of the organization to promote or advance any social or political positions or agendas. While some people wish the proposed resolution would go further, it was clear from our listening phase that changing adult standards would have conflicted with the majority of our partners, 70% of which are religious organizations, and would have disrupted our ability to deliver Scouting.
Conversely, some have asserted that the proposed change for youth runs counter to the values of, and raises concerns among, Scouting s religious chartered organizations. We are unaware of any major religious chartered organization that believes a youth member simply stating he or she is attracted to the same sex, but not engaging in sexual activity, should make him or her unwelcome in their congregation. We reviewed a variety of policy options and concluded this option would provide kids a place to belong while they learn and grow.
About the kids The change to the Boy Scouts of America s membership policy is not the result of pressure from outside; it is the result of extensive dialogue within the Scouting family. Parents, adults in the Scouting community and teens alike tend to agree that youth should not be denied the benefits of Scouting. The resolution is not about adults; it is about what is best for young people.
Some have voiced concerns that this proposal could put children at risk of being abused. The BSA makes no connection between sexual abuse and homosexuality. The nation s leading experts agree.
The BSA has stringent polices that protect the safety and privacy of youth and has always worked to ensure that it is a supportive and safe environment. The BSA s executive committee unanimously presented this resolution because it stays true to Scouting s mission and remains focused on kids. No matter what your opinion is on this issue, America needs Scouting, and our policies must be based on what is in the best interest of our nation s children.
The BSA announced in April that it would propose to members of its National Council at a meeting in Texas later this month of lifting the ban on gay youth scouts, but maintaining a ban on gay adult leaders. In July 2012, after a two year review, the Boy Scouts of America announced it would retain its ban on gay members, volunteers and staff. Earlier this month, the Western Los Angeles branch of the BSA voiced its opposition to the discriminatory policy.
The council is backing a resolution which states that no youth or adult should be excluded as a leader, volunteer or staff member solely based on their sexual orientation or preference. The Boy Scouts of America is currently embroiled in a debate over whether to lift its ban on gay volunteers, members and staff. In February, it delayed a vote on whether or not to lift the ban until May due to the complexity of the issue .
A poll released in February found that a majority of US voters thought the Boy Scouts of America should drop its ban on gay scouts, volunteers and staff.
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Peter Tatchell: I may disagree with David Cameron on austerity, but on equal marriage I salute him
Big thanks to everyone who lobbied to help make this victory happen. Without your commitment and support for equal marriage over recent years, the outcome might have been different, said Peter Tatchell, director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation. One downside is that the battle for equal marriage has prompted an outpouring of anti-LGBT prejudice unprecedented in Britain for many years, with politicians and religious leaders spearheading the attacks on LGBT people.
Mr Tatchell continued: Although there are politicians from all three main parties who oppose same-sex marriage, most notably 128 Conservative MPs voted against marriage equality. Only 117 voted in favour. David Cameron is to be commended for bringing forward this legislation and sticking to his guns.
But clearly large swathes of Conservative MPs and local constituency parties support homophobic discrimination in marriage law. They want a return to the days when the Conservatives were the nasty party. Writing in the London Evening Standard, Mr Tatchell stated how equal marriage had long been a focus of the Tory leadership: I met George Osborne and Theresa May before the 2010 election and secured their agreement to review the ban on LGBT marriage.
This commitment was published prior to election day in a Contract for Equalities. He concluded: I may disagree with David Cameron on austerity and public spending cuts, but on gay marriage I salute him. Earlier this week, in an exclusive interview with PinkNews.co.uk, gay Conservative MP Crispin Blunt conceded that equal marriage has cost the Tory leader support from within his party.
He s made his point, everyone knows the fire he s going through with some of his own colleagues in order to deliver this and I hope people are going to be appropriately grateful for the fantastic leadership that he s shown on this. Yesterday, David Cameron accepted that his party was divided on the issue but said: I think it is right for Britain, like other countries, to take on this issue and to determine the right approach and that s exactly what I ve done and I m proud of the fact that this legislation has now passed the House of Commons. That s a good thing.
Peers in the House of Lords will start debating the bill on 3 June.
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Baby: Love
Cornwall: Tory deputy chair Sarah Newton defends abstaining in equal marriage Commons vote
A bill can only pass through the House of Commons if it is supported by votes in its favour. If the number of Members of Parliament who abstained or voted against the bill had outweighed the number of members who voted for it, the bill would not have been passed. My decision to withhold my personal mandate from the bill, thereby threatening its passage, was a direct reflection of the lack of a mandate that the bill received from Truro and Falmouth residents.
The Cornish MP had previously said she personally supported proposals to allow same-sex couples to marry, but that her final voting decision rested on the outcome of a local equal marriage debate involving her constituents, which was held earlier this year in Truro. The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday with a Commons majority of 205.
128 Conservative MPs voted against the bill. Both of Mrs Newton s Conservative colleagues in Cornwall also abstained from voting.
George Eustice, MP for Camborne and Redruth, is on his honeymoon and Sheryl Murray, MP for South East Cornwall, abstained. All three Liberal Democrat Cornish MPs, Stephen Gilbert, Dan Rogerson and Andrew George, voted in favour. Writing for PinkNews.co.uk earlier this week, Stephen Gilbert, MP for St Austell & Newquay, said: I don t doubt the prime minister s personal commitment to delivering equal marriage.
My concern is that David Cameron is in danger of being buffeted by the storms raging within his disunited party. Yesterday, David Cameron accepted that his party was divided on the issue but said: I think it is right for Britain, like other countries, to take on this issue and to determine the right approach and that s exactly what I ve done and I m proud of the fact that this legislation has now passed the House of Commons. That s a good thing.
Peers in the House of Lords will start debating the bill on 3 June.
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Soldier Beheaded on the Streets of Woolwich, England
The Telegraph is reporting today that a soldier was beheaded on the streets of Woolwich, England by Islamists.
Now people have asked me how, to this day, I c ... Continue reading
Columnist Richard Godwin: Does Tory MP Sir Gerald Howarth dream that everyone in Soho wants to bum him?
Making the serious point of how he was previously the victim of a violent homophobic attack, Mr Andrew said: I am not an aggressive man, but I have had the misfortune of facing aggression in a violent, physical form In 1997, I was attacked and beaten unconscious by three men because of who and what I am. In a swipe at Sir Gerald Howarth and other vocal critics of marriage equality, Richard Godwin wrote in the London Evening Standard: gay marriage opponents are guided less by ideology than by attitude. You hear it in that amusing complaint: But I do wish they wouldn t wave it in your face!
It was also present in Sir Gerald Howarth MP s reference to the aggressive homosexual community . Perhaps he was referring to the mythical gangs of gays who go out straight-bashing , use straight as an insult and seek to deny straights the rights held by gay people for generations? Or perhaps, like so many of his generation, he really does dream that everyone in Soho wants to bum him.
Either way, it marks him out as a relic. On Wednesday evening, Richard Godwin tweeted: Wow. My use of the word bum made one reader really angry.
Heroic work from @emiliemcmeekan fielding the call. He added: Thanks for all the lovely comments on my column today. I wish you could have heard how ANGRY the caller was earlier.
BUM?!
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Gaydar Summer Festivals Contest Win a Cruise Trip
Any such entries will be invalid.
1.2 The opening date and time for the competition is 23rd May 2013 at 00:01 BST and the closing date is 23:59 on 2nd July 2013 BST. Any entries received before or after these times will be discounted. To enter, entrants are required to - Send an online message to the Find-Him profile and state, Found You and provide the following information full name, contact phone number and email address.
1.3 1 x winner will be selected at random on 3 rd July 2013 1.3.2 If the winner cannot be contacted, do not respond as specified within 2 days of being announced or are unable to redeem the prize for any reason, then the promoter reserves the right to offer the prize to the next entrant drawn and thereafter until a winner is found.
1.4. Only one message (entry) is to be sent per person 1.3 Entry to the competition is on http://www.gaydar.net 1 1.4 There is no charge for entering the competition.
2. The Prize 2.1 The prize is as follows - A cruise for with Atlantis Cruises up to the value of 1500.
2.2 No cash equivalent or alternative prize will be given and the prize is non-transferable. However, the Promoter reserves the right to change the prize due to circumstances beyond its control or to offer an alternative of similar value.
2.2.3 The Prize may be redeemed on a date and time to be agreed on by all parties involved (CPC Connect, Atlantis Cruises and the winner).
2.3 The expiry date or the date the prize must be redeemed by is 31st July 2014.
2.4 In the event that the winner does not, or is unable to, comply with and meet these Terms and Conditions, the Promoter shall be entitled at its discretion to disqualify the winner, without any further liability to the winner.
2.5 The winners of the contest will hereby agree to have their photo taken and be interviewed by either a staff member or an individual acting on behalf of CPC Connect Ltd. CPC Connect Ltd will have the absolute right and to permission to use, re-use, publish, re-publish, exhibit, display, print and reprint in advertising material, including motion pictures, magazines, book form and other media including the internet and all electronic media for any purpose.
2.6 The prize does not include any transfers to and from the cruise start and end points.
3. Data Protection 3.1 The Promoter (or any third party nominated by the Promoter) may use the winner s name and image and their comments relating to the prize and competition experience for future promotional, marketing and publicity purposes in any media worldwide without notice or without any fee being paid. However, save as set out in this clause, information and data ( personal data ) which is provided by you as an entrant when you enter will be held and used by the Promoter, CPC Connect Ltd (if different) and their suppliers and contractors in order to administer the competition.
Entrants personal data may also be passed to their cellular phone provider (where the phone entry channel is used) or to relevant regulatory bodies, the police or other authorities in the course of the investigation of any complaints or suspected unlawful activity or where requested by the phone provider in connection with the billing arrangements for the competition. Aggregate, non personal data may also be used for the purpose of undertaking market research or in facilitating reviews, developments and improvements to relevant services.
3.2 Your personal data will only otherwise be used by CPC Connect Limited in accordance with its privacy policy and by the Promoter in relation to its (where different). CPC Connect s privacy policy can be viewed at http://gaydar.co.uk/scripts/privacy.asp 2 .
4. General Terms 4.1 The Promoter and CPC Connect Ltd (if different) are not responsible for network, telephone line or communication failures of any kind or for entries that are incomplete or incomprehensible or not received. Such entries will be void.
4.2 The Promoter reserves the right to verify the eligibility of entrants and check their identity. Entries that are incorrect, incomplete or inaudible will be void. No refund will be made for the cost of any entry.
In the event of any fault, mistake, misunderstanding or dispute concerning the operation of any part of the competition or the operation of the phone system, the decision of the Promoter shall be final. The Promoter and CPC Connect Ltd (if different) can make no guarantee of telephone access to the competition.
4.3 Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall exclude or limit the Promoter s or CPC Connect Ltd s liability for death or personal injury caused by their staff or supplier s negligence or for fraud.
4.4 These Terms and Conditions shall be exclusively governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England unless you as an entrant are a Scottish resident in which case you may choose the law of your residence and you irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales again unless you are a Scottish resident in which case you may choose the courts of your residence in Scotland.
4.6 Please note that calls may be recorded to ensure that competition entries are captured, for staff training and quality control purposes.
5. Contact Details and Further Information 5.1 For a hard copy set of these Terms and Conditions or the name of the winner, please send a SAE to the Promoter s address below.
5.2 The Promoter for the following prizes is as follows 5.2.1 Atlantis Cruises References ^ http://www.gaydar.net (www.gaydar.net) ^ http://gaydar.co.uk/scripts/privacy.asp (gaydar.co.uk) Continue reading
David Cameron called marriage wrecker and warned of long battle over equal marriage in House of Lords
It will now travel to the House of Lords for further scrutiny, debate and voting. Colin Hart, campaign director of the Coalition for Marriage accused Mr Cameron of being a marriage wrecker , and said: If he thinks he got a rough ride in the Commons, just wait for the Lords. It will be a long, protracted battle which will only remind the voters that the Government isn t listening.
Of the peers, 65 have already signed up to speak on the bill, when it goes to the House of Lords on 3 June. Many more are also expected to sign up to speak on the it. Some have warned of a possible attempt at an ambush on the bill, given that the debate is likely to go on into the early hours.
Former Conservative Party chairman Lord Norman Tebbit, who launched a foul-mouthed attack on David Cameron, claiming the prime minister had fucked things up over the bill, is among those who have signed up to speak. Speaking on BBC Radio 4 s Today Programme, David Cameron said that teenagers will stand that bit taller today and I m proud of the fact that that has happened. The Prime Minister accepted that his party was divided on the issue but said: On the gay marriage issue, this is an issue clearly that divides the country.
It certainly divides the Conservative Party. But I think it is right for Britain, like other countries, to take on this issue and to determine the right approach and that s exactly what I ve done and I m proud of the fact that this legislation has now passed the House of Commons. That s a good thing.
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US church blames Woolwich suspected terror killing on UK acceptance of gay people
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the victim was a soldier, and that he was wearing a Help for Heroes UK military charity t-shirt. Two suspects were shot and wounded, and taken to hospital, one by air ambulance, following the attack. Footage appeared on ITV this evening, in which one of the attackers, who was holding a meat cleaver and a knife, said: We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you.
He then explained his actions: I apologise that women have had to witness this today, but in our land our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your government, they don t care about you.
The flyer posted on the WBC s Twitter pages, included images of the two suspects, taken from the ITV News report, and the text: God is your terrorist , God hates the UK , Fags doom nations , God curses the troops , and Not blessed, just cursed . David Cameron has returned to Westminster from a trip to Paris. He will chair a meeting of emergency response committee Cobra on Thursday.
The committee already met today, and decided to increase security at Woolwich, and other barracks. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe described the murder as shocking and horrific , and said it was being treated as a terrorist incident. He said: It is hard to comprehend the shocking and horrific scenes we have seen this afternoon on a busy street as Londoners went about their day as normal.
We have launched a murder investigation, being led by the Counter Terrorism Command. Two men have been arrested in connection with that murder. Following the attack, around a hundred gathered near the scene in Woolwich town centre, including members of the English Defence League, who were met by a heavy police presence, including those wearing riot gear.
The homophobic Westboro Baptist Church yesterday thanked God for a lethal tornado that ripped through Moore, Oklahoma, leaving at least 24 people dead, saying it s because of gay basketball player Jason Collins.
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