As you may have heard, the Boy Scouts of America announced on Monday that they will now allow biological girls who believe that they are boys to join their boys-only programs. As scouting veteran John Stemberger, president of MFI’s counterpart in Florida said, “This is a profoundly sad but inevitable decision on the part of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The leadership of the BSA assured its membership less than four years ago when they voted to allow openly gay boys in the program that this would never happen…. Further, knowing that boys and biological girls will be showering, dressing and camping in tents together creates a clear child protection issue which is being ignored. It’s simply stunning that a leading youth organization which parents entrust the protection of their children with has opted to again appease political activists rather than follow clear, common-sense best practices for child protection.”
John is of course right to raise these obvious concerns – will transgender “boys” (biological girls) be able to share tents and bathrooms with real (biological) boys? Can parents request exemptions from having their son undress in front of a girl who suffers from gender identity disorder without being called “bigots?” Despite the iconic motto of “be prepared,” the BSA doesn’t seem to have thought this through very well. This is typical of the rush to embrace gender confusion as a new civil right that we have been grappling with here in MA in the form of the transgender bathroom and shower bill. Meanwhile, parents who voice common sense concerns about the privacy and safety of their children typically get ignored or disparaged.
This is also a slap in the face to people of faith, who often host scout meetings in their church buildings. As Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, put it:
“Now we see once again that the Boy Scouts really is committed to a gender-theory culture war that evangelical Christians and many other Americans just can’t accept.”
However, we’re happy to inform you that there are other leadership-building options for young men apart from the BSA. Trail Life USA is a Christian outdoor adventure program founded by that same John Stemberger I quoted above. Trail Life describes itself as a program that “centers on outdoor experiences that build a young man’s skills and allow him to grow on a personal level and as a role model and leader for his peers. Living the Trail Life is a journey established on timeless values derived from the Bible.”
We encourage you to check out this godly alternative for your son!
