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When an organization rejects the membership of one
particular segment of a population, it sets a precedent for the deliberate
omission of other segments of that population. That is a highway to bigotry,
discrimination, and prejudice. Rabbi
Foster understands this: When a significant violation of civil rights occurs,
he knows that as a leader in our civic and religious communities, he has a
responsibility to protect the safety of some, for the sake of freedom for all.
Being gay—having a male gender preference during sex—has
nothing to do with Scouting qualifications.
Scouting is not about sexual practices, but about life skills that
prepare young men for adulthood. To
forbid gays in the Scouts because of an issue that has nothing to do with
Scouting, but rather cultural ostracism, is a violation of our Bill of Rights. Rabbi Foster understands this, and he has
used his visibility to file an objection to such a poor Court decision.