Gay vs Pedophile

[Neo Deist]

First, some back info...

Back in 2013, the Boy Scouts of America National Council (BSA NC) declared that openly gay boys could join its ranks. This angered many conservatives, but they dealt with it. Many of the church sponsored troops across the nation took a step back. Some members (child and adult) flat out quit.

In 2015, the BSA NC voted to allow openly gay men to be scout leaders. This move caused many church sponsored troops to drop BSA affiliation completely. Many of them converted over to the conservative Trail Life USA scouting program. That program has spread to all 50 states and is growing at an astronomical pace, having only been around for three years.

The BSA NC made these decisions over political pressure, as well as the potential for discriminatory lawsuits. They basically said that at the national level, they recognize any boy as being applicable to join, and any adult to be a leader. However, they also said that it is up to the individual troops at the local level to make sure they appoint the "most qualified leaders." In other words, "don't let a gay man be a scout leader at your location."

The reason so many parents got bent out of shape over the 2015 decision was because they did not want to send their young boys off into the woods on a camping trip, with a gay scout leader. They envisioned him sexually abusing their children. I even heard it at my local troop. I had to stop and explain a few things to the parents:

1. Being gay does not mean you are a pedophile. A gay man may be the queerest person on the planet, but would never even consider touching a child as he is not attracted to children. There is no interest for him.

2. A pedophile is an adult that is sexually attracted to children, and this includes heterosexual adults.

3. The same people (scout or leader) that were in the troop yesterday are most likely going to be the same people that are in the troop today. Unless someone suddenly "jumps out of the closet" with a leather gimp suit on and starts fondling boys, chances are you will never see your fears come true at the local level...especially here. It's not like a Gay Pride Parade is going to be walking down main street of Everytown, USA.

 

[columbus]

Back in 2013, the Boy Scouts of America National Council (BSA NC) declared that openly gay boys could join its ranks. This angered many conservatives, but they dealt with it.

You could back up the history just a bit.
Prior to this, the BSA forbade gay and atheist members, scouts or leaders. This was mainly the result of Mormons dominating the top leadership and forcing their personal religious mores onto the whole organization.
Jus' saying'
This needn't have been a BFD if it weren't for religious people. The reason that they backed off of it is money. They couldn't keep their tax status while indulging in such flagrant bigotry.
Tom

 

[Neo Deist]

You could back up the history just a bit.
Prior to this, the BSA forbade gay and atheist members, scouts or leaders. This was mainly the result of Mormons dominating the top leadership and forcing their personal religious mores onto the whole organization.
Jus' saying'
This needn't have been a BFD if it weren't for religious people. The reason that they backed off of it is money. They couldn't keep their tax status while indulging in such flagrant bigotry.
Tom

While true, my point is that I had to educate some parents on the difference between gay and pedophile. Many honestly thought that if you were a gay man, you liked boys too.

 

[columbus]

While true, my point is that I had to educate some parents on the difference between gay and pedophile. Many honestly thought that if you were a gay man, you liked boys too.

Oh, OK. I get that.
Although I have never been fond of the idea of gay scout leaders.
The vast majority that take the trust seriously and would never betray it aren't an issue. The tiny number who don't, or even wind up in a compromising but innocent position, will cause huge amounts of damage.
If only by giving parents reason to keep boys out of scouting when the boy would majorly benefit.
Tom

 

[Katzpur]

While true, my point is that I had to educate some parents on the difference between gay and pedophile. Many honestly thought that if you were a gay man, you liked boys too.

Man, some people are just really, really stupid, aren't they?

 

[Brian Schuh]

First, some back info...

Back in 2013, the Boy Scouts of America National Council (BSA NC) declared that openly gay boys could join its ranks. This angered many conservatives, but they dealt with it. Many of the church sponsored troops across the nation took a step back. Some members (child and adult) flat out quit.

In 2015, the BSA NC voted to allow openly gay men to be scout leaders. This move caused many church sponsored troops to drop BSA affiliation completely. Many of them converted over to the conservative Trail Life USA scouting program. That program has spread to all 50 states and is growing at an astronomical pace, having only been around for three years.

The BSA NC made these decisions over political pressure, as well as the potential for discriminatory lawsuits. They basically said that at the national level, they recognize any boy as being applicable to join, and any adult to be a leader. However, they also said that it is up to the individual troops at the local level to make sure they appoint the "most qualified leaders." In other words, "don't let a gay man be a scout leader at your location."

The reason so many parents got bent out of shape over the 2015 decision was because they did not want to send their young boys off into the woods on a camping trip, with a gay scout leader. They envisioned him sexually abusing their children. I even heard it at my local troop. I had to stop and explain a few things to the parents:

1. Being gay does not mean you are a pedophile. A gay man may be the queerest person on the planet, but would never even consider touching a child as he is not attracted to children. There is no interest for him.

2. A pedophile is an adult that is sexually attracted to children, and this includes heterosexual adults.

3. The same people (scout or leader) that were in the troop yesterday are most likely going to be the same people that are in the troop today. Unless someone suddenly "jumps out of the closet" with a leather gimp suit on and starts fondling boys, chances are you will never see your fears come true at the local level...especially here. It's not like a Gay Pride Parade is going to be walking down main street of Everytown, USA.

It is politically incorrect to call same gender pedophiles homosexual. It is also incorrect to call opposite gender pedophiles heterosexual. Homosexuals and heterosexuals and bisexuals are not pedophiles. Pedophiles are either same gender pedophiles or opposite gender pedophiles. It is rare for a pedophile to be attracted to both girls and boys. There is no such person as a homosexual or heterosexual pedophile. They are either same gender pedophiles or opposite gender pedophiles.

I am sure you agree with this from the way you talk. Just a minor correction in semantics.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

While true, my point is that I had to educate some parents on the difference between gay and pedophile. Many honestly thought that if you were a gay man, you liked boys too.

When a straight man assumes this, I generally suspect that it's because he's attracted to underage girls and figures that gay men would feel the same way about their gender of choice.

 

[Brian Schuh]

At times I have been really intoxicated, I have said suggestive things to teenage girls. Thank G-d that I have never been put in a position where I am even tempted. My experience is with older women, for example, when I was in my twenties, I was with a woman in her forties. Now that I am forty, I am with a woman in her sixties. I have been told that the older you like them, also the younger you like them. I used to be afraid that since I was the victim of childhood sexual abuse, that I would grow up to like underage girls. Well, who doesn't like teenage girls? The main thing is to remember what all our moms and dads told us going through this, they are jail bait. If a teenage girl was to come on to me, I might run in fear. It has never happened. And I thank G-d for that. My mom even told me that if I have to, check a girl's ID to make sure she is over 18. (And if she isn't, don't forget to confiscate her cigarettes. No, just joking.) The fact is, I have never had to check a girl's ID. I don't have any fear anymore about this, I know that I like older women. I got two girlfriends right now, one is in her 60's and the other is 45. And when I'm really drunk and flirt with a teenage girl, I am confidant that nothing would ever happen. These were fears of mine, that because I was a victim of a pedophile, that I would grow up to be a pedophile. But now that I'm 40 years old, I realize that I have nothing to fear.

 

[Milton Platt]

While true, my point is that I had to educate some parents on the difference between gay and pedophile. Many honestly thought that if you were a gay man, you liked boys too.

Well, I am not gay, but I am an atheist. So from what I read, I apparently eat babies......

 

[columbus]

When a straight man assumes this, I generally suspect that it's because he's attracted to underage girls and figures that gay men would feel the same way about their gender of choice.

There's lots of underage guys I think are hot.
But I am a grown up and they are not. So the onus is on me to be responsible.

Doesn't mean I don't look though.
Tom

 

[Scott C.]

First, some back info...

Back in 2013, the Boy Scouts of America National Council (BSA NC) declared that openly gay boys could join its ranks. This angered many conservatives, but they dealt with it. Many of the church sponsored troops across the nation took a step back. Some members (child and adult) flat out quit.

I serve in a local LDS ward as a youth leader of the young men. My wife serves with the young women. Sometimes we do activities together. As a man, I'm not allowed, for example, to take young women in my car, unless there is at least one male present. A woman also can't take boys without another female present. You would never see a male missionary paired with a female missionary as companions, unless they are married. Similarly on a church activity, the church would not have a married man alone with a married woman during an activity, in a car, etc. When men teach a children's class on Sunday, they must have a male adult partner in class with them or there must be a window to the room. The sexual molestation of a child by either gender against either gender is reprehensible. As Christ said "It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones".

Coincidentally last Sunday I was teaching a class to our 14-15 boys. Another adult in the room mentioned that he had a missionary companion who was gay. At first my friend did not know his companion was gay, but later he told him so. The gay missionary believed in my church and so was committed to not acting on his sexual attraction. My church certainly knew and allowed this companionship. My friend had no problems with being his companion.

Since my church has the rules I noted above to prevent a wrong appearance, temptation, serious mistakes, or false accusations for mixed gender situations, it does the raise the question of how these rules should apply in the situation of gay participants.

 

[Brian Schuh]

I serve in a local LDS ward as a youth leader of the young men. My wife serves with the young women. Sometimes we do activities together. As a man, I'm not allowed, for example, to take young women in my car, unless there is at least one male present. A woman also can't take boys without another female present. You would never see a male missionary paired with a female missionary as companions, unless they are married. Similarly on a church activity, the church would not have a married man alone with a married woman during an activity, in a car, etc. When men teach a children's class on Sunday, they must have a male adult partner in class with them or their must be a window to the room. The sexual molestation of a child by either gender against either gender is reprehensible. As Christ said "It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

Coincidentally last Sunday I was teaching a class to our 14-15 boys. Another adult in the room mentioned that he had a missionary companion who was gay. At first my friend did not know his companion was gay, but later he told him so. The gay missionary believed in my church and so was committed to not acting on his sexual attraction. My church certainly knew and allowed this companionship. My friend had no problems with being his companion.

Since my church has the rules I noted above to prevent a wrong appearance, temptation, serious mistakes, or false accusations for mixed gender situations, it does the raise the question of how these rules should apply in the situation of gay participants.

I understand the wisdom of these rules of yours. I was once the member of a 12 step program. Only men sponsored men. Only women sponsored women. Once the question came up of whether a gay woman should sponsor a gay man, and if a gay man should sponsor a gay woman. That makes sense in a way. I wonder what you would think of that gay male missionary should only partner with a gay female missionary.

 

[Scott C.]

I understand the wisdom of these rules of yours. I was once the member of a 12 step program. Only men sponsored men. Only women sponsored women. Once the question came up of whether a gay woman should sponsor a gay man, and if a gay man should sponsor a gay woman. That makes sense in a way. I wonder what you would think of that gay male missionary should only partner with a gay female missionary.

I don't think a mixed gender/gay companionship for Mormon missionaries would work. But, when I was a 19 year old single missionary, had I been paired with an attractive 19 year old girl, shared a bedroom with her and been together 24/7 in public and private, I would likely have had a crush on her and it would be a big distraction from missionary work and a temptation. It wouldn't be reasonable to put missionaries in that situation. So it must be hard for a gay male missionary to be paired with another guy. The same goes for gay women of course.

 

[Aštra’el]

There's lots of underage guys I think are hot.
But I am a grown up and they are not. So the onus is on me to be responsible.

Doesn't mean I don't look though.
Tom

 

[Scott C.]

When a straight man assumes this, I generally suspect that it's because he's attracted to underage girls and figures that gay men would feel the same way about their gender of choice.

Sexual attraction to a teenager is normal. An adult must have the maturity and decency to recognize that acting on that attraction would be very wrong. I would assume gays have the same feelings.

 

[columbus]

That guy is really more my favorite flavor
Hot Daddy
Tom