Recently, opponents of marriage equality have focused more on their objection that laws will no longer recognize the uniqueness of husbands and wives or mothers and fathers. Just this weekend the coalition opposed to Minnesota marriage equality used Mother’s Day to mourn that “Mother” will be removed from marriage laws, having previously warned not to “erase moms and dads.” Family Research Council senior fellow Cathy Ruse has attempted to make a similar argument, complaining about the Department of Education’s decision to recognize same-sex families when assessing need for financial aid:

I carried my children for 9 months in my womb, I endured the pain (and joy) of birth, I nursed them for many months after they were born, and every morning they jump into my bed screaming, “Mommy!”

But the federal government says I’m Mommy no more.

I am Parent 1.

Or maybe Parent 2.

Kind of like Thing One and Thing Two. But Dr. Seuss was being ironic.

Mr. President, I dare you to tell my daughters I’m not their mother.

Ruse’s quibble aptly reveals how little substance this argument has. No one is telling her she’s not her children’s mother. Likewise, lesbian moms are mothers too. The reason for the change is to recognize that not all families are alike, and thus should not face discrimination when simply filling out a form because it has gendered language.

The argument mirrors the rhetorical question asked by 11-year-old Grace Evans during a Minnesota House committee hearing: “Which parent do I not need, my mom or my dad?” This ruse ignores that children of same-sex couples could ask the very same question. For example, Eagle Scout and LGBT ally Zach Wahls could easily ask, “Which of my moms do I not need?” and thus highlight that marriage equality has nothing to do with taking a parent away.

Perhaps Ruse is Parent 1 some days and Parent 2 other days. She has the freedom to be whatever kind of parent she wants to be to her children, including a mother that hyper-conforms to gender norms. What guarantees that privilege is the protections she and her family have because she is legally recognized as one of her children’s parents — the same protections that same-sex couples are seeking for their families through marriage equality. If Ruse has been relying on the federal government to inform her of her gender and parenting role, perhaps she should simply take her kids’ word for it when they call her, “Mommy!”

Despite significant declines in membership and United Way funding, the Boy Scouts of America doubled down on their outright ban on LGBT Scouts and leaders last July, claiming its “leadership agrees this is the best policy for the organization.” But a newly obtained internal survey shows that of those commenting on the issue, 97 percent of Boy Scouts and their parents said that reaffirmation “negatively impacted their loyalty.”

Scouts for Equality, the Scout alumni association dedicated to ending the ban on gay members and leaders founded by Eagle Scout Zach Wahls, obtained a copy of the BSA’s 2012 Voice of the Scout internal poll results. The documents show that loyalty to the organization dropped 11 percent over last year, driven by widespread opposition to the organization’s “membership standards policy.” In a press release, Scouts for Equality noted:

• Of the 5,800 survey respondents who commented on the policy, 95 percent said the “reaffirmation of the membership policy negatively impacted their loyalty.” For Boy scouts and their parents, that number jumped to 97 percent.
• BSA noted that “conservative estimates assign a 15:1 ratio of negative to positive comments about the existing membership standards policy” that prohibits gay scouts or scoutmasters.

Deron Smith, a spokesman for BSA, told ThinkProgress that the survey asked 68,441 respondents an open-ended question about why they provided the rating they did to the BSA: “Of the respondents, 91 percent did not raise membership standards as an issue or concern, and approximately 9 percent cited it as an issue or concern that impacts their loyalty to the organization. Of the 9 percent who mentioned this issue, 97 percent of Boy Scout parents and 95 percent of Cub Scout parents had negative views toward the current policy. Using an open-ended format like this indicates the membership standards policy is a factor, but it doesn’t tell you to what extent the issue impacted loyalty to the BSA, nor does it represent the beliefs of the 91 percent of respondents who did not comment on the issue. Also, this level of feedback is not unusual. Throughout the years, people involved in Scouting and others who are not related to the program have expressed their disagreement with this single policy in a variety of ways.”

The Boy Scouts of America’s National Council will decide at its May national meeting whether to change the policy. BSA is again surveying Scout families on the subject prior to the May vote. It seems clear that the survival of the organization as a national movement depends on standing with the these Scout families and lifting the ban.

Days after forcing a Cub Scout pack to drop a non-discrimination policy that included sexual orientation — and just six months after a full-throated reaffirmation of the policy — the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) board is apparently considering dropping its nationwide policy of discrimination.

Deron Smith, national spokesman for the BSA told ThinkProgress that the national board will make any decision, “at the appropriate time,” but confirmed that they “anticipate discussion on the matter at the National Executive Board at the next regularly scheduled board meeting the week of Feb. 4.” The board’s meetings are not open to the public or press.

Smith’s initial statement on the potential U-turn, first reported by NBC News, stated:

Scouting has always been in an ongoing dialogue with the Scouting family to determine what is in the best interest of the organization and the young people we serve. Currently, the BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation. This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs. BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families.

The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue. The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs.

Eagle Scout Zach Wahls, founder of Scouts for Equality, told ThinkProgress that such a change would be “an incredible step forward in the right direction.”

But it remains to be seen whether consideration will mean action. Last June, the Associated Press reported that the organization had agreed to consider such a change in 2013, but weeks later the BSA announced it had ended its consideration and that a secret committee had unanimously decided to keep the ban in place.

Over the past year, openly lesbian mom Jen Tyrrell was ousted from her position as Cub Scout Den Leader, 17-year-old Eric Jones was fired from his job at a Scout Camp for being gay, and openly gay Scout Ryan Andresen was denied his Eagle Scout award for his “avowed homosexuality.”

In their 2012 presidential campaign, both former BSA national board member Mitt Romney and honorary BSA president Barack Obama agreed that BSA should end its policy of discrimination.

The charitable foundation for pharmaceutical company Merck is the latest corporate leader to suspend financial support for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) over the organization’s anti-gay policies. The Merck Foundation’s Brian Gill explains that BSA’s refusal to allow gay scouts does not align with the company’s nondiscrimination guidelines:

The Merck Foundation believes that it is critical to honor and support a foundational policy of diversity and inclusion in all funding decisions. Recently, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) restated its policy that excludes members on the basis of sexual orientation. The BSA’s policy of exclusion directly conflicts with the Merck Foundation’s giving guidelines. On that basis the Merck Foundation has decided to suspend funding to the BSA. The decision to suspend support applies to direct funding from the Merck Foundation, the matching of gifts from Merck employees, and paid time off for volunteering.

The Foundation has supported the BSA for many years and we continue to herald the fine work that the BSA has done in communities throughout the country. We know that many of you have personally contributed to the BSA and that this decision may be upsetting to some of you. However, we cannot continue to provide support to an organization with a policy that is contrary to one of our core beliefs. We remain ready and willing to re-consider our funding position in the event that the BSA were to revise its policy.

Gill notes that Merck will be assessing its other giving to ensure that no other charitable recipients have similar conflicting policies. The company had given $30,000 to Boy Scout entities in 2011.

Merck joins Intel and UPS in withholding support from the Scouts until they update their policies. Scouts for Equality founder Zach Wahls is also currently petitioning Verizon to do the same.

UPS has confirmed that it has implemented a new policy for its charitable giving that will disqualify groups like the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. The UPS Foundation posted the following on its site yesterday:

The UPS Foundation seeks to support organizations that are in alignment with our focus areas, guidelines, and non-discrimination policy. UPS and The UPS Foundation do not discriminate against any person or organization with regard to categories protected by applicable law, as well as other categories protected by UPS and The UPS Foundation in our own policies. These include, but are not limited to race, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or military status, pregnancy, age and religion.

In September, The American Independent reported on companies like UPS and Intel that had made donations to the Boy Scouts. In 2010, UPS gave $167,000 to BSA and clarified at that time that it would not be changing its policies. At that time, Intel clarified to ThinkProgress that it had already implemented a new safeguard to prevent the company’s charitable giving from supporting discriminating organizations or charities. Intrepid activist Zach Wahls then led a petition effort against UPS, which has apparently followed suit.

Daily Kos is running a campaign to thank the UPS Foundation for standing by its principled support of LGBT equality and ending its donations to the Boy Scouts.

Last month, The American Independent uncovered various corporate donations to the Boy Scouts of America, noting that many of the companies have LGBT-inclusive policies that don’t jibe with the Scouts’ anti-gay discrimination. Zach Wahls of Scouts for Equality first targeted Intel for its giving, prompting Intel to clarify it implemented a new policy this past year requiring grant recipients to vow not to discriminate based on sexual orientation. Now, Wahls has a new petition calling on shipping and freight company UPS to follow suit.

Unlike Intel, which was eager to clarify that it had rectified its donation program so as not to fund discrimination, UPS proved to be a bit indignant about its support of the Boy Scouts, defending the $167,000 it gave in 2010, including $100,000 directly to the national organization. (Intel only gave to local chapters that its employees worked with.) According to UPS International Public Relations Manager Kristen Petrella, the company does not care about ongoing discrimination against gay scouts and leaders:

PETRELLA: This decision has not and will not impact The UPS Foundation’s decision to provide funding to BSA although we evaluate each funding request on an individual basis. UPS has always supported and will continue to support youth development. A large number of UPS employees were involved with the Boy Scouts in their youth and some of them continue to serve as scout leaders today. UPS believes in supporting organizations with which its employees are involved.

This seems to be a gross violation of the LGBT-inclusive principles that inform UPS’s past 100 percent rating on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, which UPS boasts on its own website. (HRC adjusted its criteria this past year and UPS now has a 90 percent rating because it does not offer transition-related care for transgender employees.) There is little reason that the mailing company couldn’t follow Intel’s innovative model of requiring Scout troops it supports to commit to being gay-inclusive, although this would impact its substantial giving to the national organization. If UPS is truly committed to LGBT equality, it should find a way to encourage the charitable work of its employees without compromising these principles.

Earlier this week, The American Independent reported that Intel was one of the Boy Scouts of America’s largest corporate donors in 2010, giving over $700,000 to local troops and councils as matching grants for employees’ volunteer work. Scouts for Equality founder Zach Wahls responded by launching a Change.org petition calling on the computer chip maker to cease financial support for any group, like the Boy Scouts, that discriminates against people based on their sexual orientation.

Today, Intel clarified to ThinkProgress that it has already adjusted its policies to prevent such donations in the future. The company first launched its Involved Matching Grant Program three years ago, offering donations to organizations for which employees volunteer, but there was originally no mechanism to ensure that they aligned with Intel’s nondiscrimination principles. As checks were being cut at the end of last year, Intel realized that many were going to organizations — including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts — that were out of step with those principles. This year, for the first time, prospective recipients of Intel grants will have to sign a statement confirming that they do not discriminate based on creed or sexual orientation, and any groups that cannot do so will be ineligible for funding.

Intel’s Chief Diversity Officer, Rosalind Hudnell, provided the following statement to ThinkProgress:

HUDNELL: Intel and the Intel Foundation give millions of dollars annually to great organizations doing valuable service around the globe. Intel has not provided funding to the National Boy Scouts of America organization.  The $700,000 in funding from the Intel Foundation was donated to local Boy Scout troops or councils where our employees volunteer their time, through our volunteer matching grants program.

In an effort to recognize our employees commitment to the communities we call home, Intel expanded its volunteer matching grants program in 2009.  Through it, Intel matches the amount of time employees’ volunteer with non-profits with dollars from the Intel Foundation. Due to significant growth in the number of organizations funded, earlier this year we revisited our policies associated with the program, and applied new rigor that requires any organization to confirm that it adheres to Intel’s anti-discrimination policy in order to receive funding.

Intel is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and to supporting the communities in which we live and work.

Under the policy, the growing number of Boy Scout troops and councils that refuse to abide by BSA’s discriminating policy would still be eligible for Intel’s funding. Hopefully, the company’s ongoing commitment to its employees and their volunteer work will help more troops shift to a policy of inclusion.

Since the Boy Scouts of America announced it was sticking with its anti-gay policy in July, without any explanation as to why it was the “best policy for the organization,” pressure has increased against the group as well as its donors. In addition to a new steady stream of Eagle Scouts returning their badges, churches and charities have begun to pull their funding. This week, another Boy Scout Leader was fired for being gay in Kentucky and is petitioning for reinstatement.

The American Independent has published a new report identifying the BSA’s largest corporate donors, many of which continue to give despite having policies against giving to organizations that discriminate based on sexual orientation. In particular, the Intel corporation gave about $700,000 to the Boy Scouts in 2010, almost half of which went to troops and councils directly connected to the Mormon Church. The Church of Latter Day Saints sponsors nearly 38,000 scouting units — 34 percent of all units nationwide — and has said it would abandon that support if gays and lesbians were allowed to serve as scout leaders. The intrepid son-of-two-moms advocate Zach Wahls has launched a petition calling on Intel, which has a 100% rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, to end its anti-gay giving.

Other companies that have given to BSA include Verizon ($318,000 in 2010) as well as big banks Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, and Bank of America, each of which gave more than $100,000:

The final night of the Democratic National Convention again featured many celebrations of LGBT equality, not to mention speeches by openly gay individuals such as Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). President Obama himself reiterated his support for marriage equality, Vice President Joe Biden condemned intolerance, and many other speakers applauded the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and other advancements of LGBT equality. In fact, there was a video dedicated entirely to the LGBT community, complete with photographs of pride parades and same-sex couples. Watch it:

Zach Wahls, rockstar spokesperson for children of same-sex couples everywhere, spoke briefly to the convention, calling out Mitt Romney for implying that some families were more “real” than others:

WAHLS: Governor Romney says he’s against same-sex marriage because every child deserves a mother and a father. I think every child deserves a family as loving and committed as mine. Because the sense of family comes from the commitment we make to each other to work through the hard times so we can enjoy the good ones. It comes from the love that binds us; that’s what makes a family. Mr. Romney, my family is just as real as yours.

Watch it:

Read more

With the Boy Scouts of America national leadership refusing to either consider lifting its ban on LGBT scouts and leaders or make public its rationale for keeping the policy, two large Scout councils have reaffirmed they will not go along with discrimination.

The Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN-based Northern Star Council, which serves over 75,000 scouts in Minnesota and Wisconsin, recently posted a statement reiterating that it welcomes “all people who can help to further Scouting’s mission of youth development.” This commitment to inclusive, the council notes, has been in place for more than a decade.

The Boston Minuteman Council, which serves 8,000-plus scouts in Massachusetts followed suit. Reaffirming at 2001 statement, the council said:

Through the Scout Oath and Law, we pledge to respect all people and to defend the rights of others. Bias, intolerance and unlawful discrimination are unacceptable within the ranks of the Boston Minuteman Council. The Boston Minuteman Council serves youth through volunteers in Packs, Troops and other units without regard to color, race, religion, ethnic background, sexual orientation or economic status. We have done our best to live up to this statement in the decade since its adoption.

A council spokesman told the Wall Street Journal that the national organization has long been aware of Boston Minuteman’s policy and has done nothing to interfere.

Eagle Scout Zach Walls, founder of Scouts for Equality, told ThinkProgress that this is “another example of local BSA units standing up for one of the key principles on which the BSA was founded: mutual religious respect. Frankly, I think this is only the beginning.”