Lynn C. Woolsey: “earlier today I introduced a bill, the Scouting for All Act, to repeal the Boy Scouts of America's Federal charter. The…”

“earlier today I introduced a bill, the Scouting for All Act, to repeal the Boy Scouts of America's Federal charter. The bill's cosponsors are sending a message to the Boy Scouts and to all Americans that the Congress of the United States does not support intolerance. As my colleagues know, a charter is an honorary title Congress awards to organizations that serve a charitable, patriotic, or educational purpose. But to me there is nothing charitable or patriotic about intolerance, and it is not a value we want our children to learn. Revoking the charter sends a clear message that Congress does not support this value, this value of intolerance. The supporters of my bill are not saying that the Boy Scouts are bad. We are saying that intolerance is bad. I was a Girl Scout. One of my sons was a Boy Scout. And I know the values of scouting, and that is why I believe it should be available to all boys. The decision handed down by the Supreme Court last month shocked me; but, most of all, it saddened me. Yes, the Boy Scouts fought hard to win their right to discriminate. But for me and the bill's supporters, this is not a question of whether the Boy Scouts have a right to establish anti-gay policy. It is a question of whether the Boy Scouts' anti-gay policy is right. We believe that choosing to do nothing in response to the court's decision would only compound the injury and would reaffirm the Boy Scouts' message that intolerance is okay.”