Brighton Grad fired from Boy Scouts of America camp for being gay

[James48]

Source: Livingston County Press

By all accounts, Lauren Jasenak makes a great Scout. She's friendly, courteous, helps others, and loves being outdoors.

In addition, the 2011 Brighton High School graduate lives her life with honesty -- and it's that last quality that got her fired July 18 from the Boy Scouts of America D-bar-A Scout Ranch south of Lapeer.

Sometimes, honesty may not be the best policy.

Lauren Jasenak was preparing to work her third summer at a Michigan Boy Scout camp when the camp director learned she was a lesbian, and fired her.


The 19-year old broke down in tears as she was forced to sit in camp manager Bill Licht's office until she signed a letter stating she had violated Scout policy. She asked for a copy of the policy she had broken, but she didn't receive one. She was told to pack up her items and leave that evening.

Read more: http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20130310/NEWS01/303100326?odyssey=mod|mostcom

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How sad.

No, it is not illegal to fire someone in Michigan...simply for the crime of who they love.


Yet.


We need to fix this.

[SoapBox]

1. Not even a surprise...

Just the same old hate as always.

This organization is just plain old creepy, to me now...and I wouldn't support them with one thin dime or moment of my time.

[Kolesar]

2. The founder of Boy Scouts, Baden Powell, was probably gay

He was unmarried and "asexual", apparently.
Here is Bill Licht's web page: http://www.michiganscouting.org/ViewMyPage.aspx?t=f%2BQvGlCOreh1RjPtK5GL%2BgYq3e8cIaCxUaJsDb6PO%2BE%3D

[closeupready]

3. Wow. Isn't this an escalation of matters?

It's like, essentially, performing witch hunts and ideological purges. Despicable.

[MynameisBlarney]

5. Well

Wasn't the BSA modeled after the Hitler Youth?

[James48]

6. No. BSA preceeded "Hitler Youth" by 30 years. n/t

[MynameisBlarney]

9. Hmm...

Yeah. think you're right.

[Pab Sungenis]

15. The inspiration was the other way around.

Hitler modeled the Hitlerjugend after the Scouts.

[closeupready]

7. I don't know. But regardless, this kind of persecution runs counter

to the values they are supposed to be upholding, which "honesty" should be first and foremost. That she is being penalized for honesty is kind of a corruption of what they are supposed to be supporting and reinforcing.

[MynameisBlarney]

4. This is why

I refuse to donate to anything that has anything to do with the BSA.
They sometimes camp out at the grocery store entrances asking for donations, now I just walk on by after a quick "No thank you".


Of course, this just leaves more moneys for my Girl Scout Cookie budget.

And I am just fine with that.

[Gothmog]

8. This is stupid

Most councils operate under a strict don't ask, don't tell and would not fire someone unless they wore a scout uniform to a gay pride event. The camp master was wrong to fire this young lady.

On a related note, last night I completed a long questionnaire from the BSA on the homosexuality policy. I am the Chartered Organization Representative for my troop and pack. The questions asked tell me that the BSA national organization is trying to build a case to change the policy.

I volunteer to talk to a BSA representative on my concerns and it will be interesting to see if someone calls. In particular, I was on the board of trustees for my temple many years ago when the URJ called for Reform Jewish units to disband and our troop survived in part due to the support of the then head rabbi. That rabbis has retired and the new rabbi is hoping to see some change on the part of BSA.

[sakabatou]

10. The BSA is such a sham.

[CRK7376]

11. Unfortunately for this

young lady, BSA current policy shot her down. BSA is in the process of change. There is an on going battle brewing about changing BSA policy to allow homosexuals into the Scouting program. Lots of folks disapprove of this policy and many agree with it. A huge vote was recently postponed until later this spring to allow for more consideration and in-put into the possibility of change.

As a 43plus year veteran of Boy Scouting, I think this is the perfect time for BSA to change its antiquated policy. At a time where we want to reach more young people, excluding a group of people, based on who they love is pretty stupid. Homosexuality has been around forever and will not go away. We need to open our program to all and not discriminate. This Eagle Scout wants to see the elimination of a policy banning homosexuals from being part of BSA.

[SpankMe]

12. Odd phrase in the termination letter:

"...anyone who is or has committed to being gay." What the hell is committed to being gay? I didn't "commit" to being white - it just turned out that way. What kind of Neanderthal shit is this?

Also, if I was her I wouldn't have signed it. Or, would have signed but annotated "signed in protest" or "signed under duress".

This is all kinds of fucked up.

[angrychair]

13. Not sure what the law is in her part of town

But where I live the phrase "forced to sit in his office..." Sounds as if she was held in the room against her will or at least it was implied. I would think it would be kidnapping at worst or likely false imprisonment at least. This guy is a scouter (in name only) he is not a LEO or fed and had no right to impede or imply he would impede her egress from the room if she didn't meet his demands. He is a grown man and she is a child (still has "teen" in her age). Why is a grown man questioning a child about her sexuality? Was she a Venture or Sea-Scout? if so, was there two-deep leadership? If she was an employee, do these actions break any state discrimination laws? This was wrong and creepy on many levels.

[James48]

14. in Michigan...

repuglicans control the state house.

repuglicans control the state senate.

repuglicans control the governor's mansion.



No- there is no law against this kind of discrimination.



Yet.

That's why we need to knoclk on doors, motivate, and clean house and change everything.

[beyurslf]

16. The BSA has waged a years-long battle to protect their right to hate others.

They even went to the Supreme Court and won. Why is anyone surprised that they, then, continue to enforce the hateful policies they have fought so hard to protect?

If you don't like hate, don't support them.

[truthisfreedom]

17. What conceiveable threat is her sexual orientation to a bunch of boy scouts???

This is so many kinds of wrong that I gotta say, fuck the BSA.

[RILib]

18. she was forced to sit in camp manager Bill Licht's office until she signed a letter

Isn't that kidnapping or something?: false imprisonment?