NJ State Senator Refuses Award From Boy Scout Troop Over Its ‘Exclusionary Policies Towards Gay Boys’
- Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:25pm by
Billy Hallowell
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The Boy Scouts of America’s policies on openly-gay members have frustrated gay rights activists and liberals for quite some time. Recently, the organization’s decision to continue its ban on homosexuals has added fuel to critics’ fire. And a New Jersey state senator’s decision not to accept an award from the organization due to these issues is likely to further stoke the debate.
(Related: Boy Scouts Reaffirm Gay Ban After 2-Year Review)
Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) is refusing to accept a nomination for an award from the Patriots Path Council, a local Boy Scouts troop. He told 1010 WINS, a regional radio station, that he is “troubled” by the Boy Scouts stance on gays and, thus, could not bring himself to accept an honor from the group.
Sen. Raymond Lesniak (Image Credit: NJ Legislature)
“I was grateful for their thoughts and I do respect all the good works that the Boy Scouts have done,” Lesniak said. “I was a Boy Scout as a matter of fact, but I am very troubled by their exclusionary policies towards gay boys.”
At the center of his issue with the exclusionary policies, Lesniak said that damage could be done to young men who he believes have no control over their orientation.
“It’s not their choice, it’s who they are and no good can come from them not being accepted for who they are,” he continued. “They’re a good organization, they do great things, but they could do even greater things if they change their policy and allow gay boys to participate in their activities.”
The Patriots Path Council released a statement following Lesniak’s refusal, describing its “diverse” membership pool. While the organization is disappointed with the senator’s decision, leaders wrote, “We fully understand and appreciate that not everyone will agree with any one position or policy.”
(H/T: CBS New York)
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Comments (101)
garbagecanlogic
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 4:07pmWhen I first read the headline, I said to myself: Please lord, don’t let him be a dummycrat. Then I had to let the lord know that this is the 11,234th time he has let me down this year regarding dummycrats and their ignorant ways. On the other hand, the guy even looks a little gay himself, so maybe he is justified. Someday though,he will grow up and be a “real man”.
Praise Be To Obama. Psalm 109:8
The U.S. Out Of The U.N.
Report Post »The U.N. Out Of The U.S.
JimL
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 4:26pmLooks? So there is a need for extra rights for lust preference?
Report Post »sawbuck
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 4:28pmBefore I clicked on the story – I KNEW it was going to be a ‘dummycrat’.
If were anyone but a ‘dummycrat’ ….THAT would have been a story..!
Report Post »cessna152
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 4:39pm**** Lesniak said. “I was a Boy Scout as a matter of fact, but I am very troubled by their exclusionary policies towards gay boys.”******
______________________________________________________________________________
So Mr. Lesniak you are excluding straight white boys who support Christian principles. The irony and hypocrisy are astounding….
Report Post »designbyinspiration
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 6:37pmGay boys can join the Girl Scouts. I mean, you wouldn’t let GIRLS into the Boy Scouts, right? Or is that considered ‘discriminatory’ by sicko left? If our bodies ran like the left wants to run this country – we’d be dead within an hour. Enough with tolerance of corruption. Stand firm for what is right and true by God and history.
Report Post »KenInIL
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 9:22pmBSA does not exclude gays how many times must it be said ?? The BSA has a very strong “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. It excludes openly gay folks, (but not their kids). There are many gay scouts and leaders, but the key is they keep to themselves and do not answer questions. No one talks about it. If you do you are out. If the benefits of being a scout do not override chasing your sexuality (either way) in high school, you have some serious personality problems. These people especially need scouting and the confidence building it gives.
Unlike the Girl Scouts, BSA is very asexual, there is no contraceptive merit badge, what you do or do not do on a date merit badge. BSA is into shooting, but not killing babies.
Report Post »Unix
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 10:28pmRead Romans, Liviticus ETC and you will see how God views homosexuals…they will burn for their CHOICE!
Report Post »holy ghostbuster
Posted on August 4, 2012 at 8:16am@ Keninil – what kind of screwed up logic is that? “BSA does not exclude gays how many times must it be said ?? The BSA has a very strong “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy” I suppose they don’t discriminate against Atheists too, unless the scout or scout leader makes it known their non-belief.
Report Post »rikyt74
Posted on August 4, 2012 at 11:52amI think Sen. Raymond Lesniak has a liking to little boys in uniforms. He loved them so much growing up. Come out and enjoy the sun Raymond.
Report Post »Look4DBigPicture
Posted on August 4, 2012 at 5:01pmGood grief!! I was a scout leader for years and sexual orientation was NEVER a topic of discussion. We started having all these ridiculous conversations when it became vogue to come out of the closet. Frankly, I don‘t give two hoots about someone else’s sex life, and neither should anyone else.
Report Post »challenger101
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 4:02pmWhy do liberals bow to homosexuals? I think they will find there are more God fearing voters than homosexuals in November. Can’t wait!!! Maybe we can then tone down the homosexual rhetoric that they are trying to shove down our throats and up our ….
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 4:06pmDividing the society is the purpose. Divide into as many small groups as possible… then conquer.
Report Post »JimL
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 4:07pmOrganized, energetic, single-minded, write large checks- support the political science profession.
Report Post »JimL
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 4:14pmCactus table centers being placed at Chic-…
Report Post »ohioan1000
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:57pmWhy would a troop nominate a democrat for any award? What were you thinking, scouters?
Report Post »TheLeftMadeMeRight
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 4:31pmA Boy Scout trying to live by the Scout Laws represents everything good about the human character, and everthing that the Democrats are generally opposed to…
Report Post »Bill from NJ
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 8:48pmTo answer your question.
Report Post »I believe there are only 7 or 8 actual republicans in this state.
Well from what I see daily, at least it is so where I live.
Seems to me every lazy POS in the cities have their hands out and are kept in slavery, but are too stupid to realize they are being used and kept in check.
It is the “give me mine”, “you owe me”, type of mentality… and they live and act like animals.
jaylew
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:54pmLeave it to a politician to make anything with the word “boy” in it…an adult subject.
Report Post »Why is it that “gayness” has to literally be injected into every single thing in American life now?
Does learning to tie knots and learning different species of turtles, bugs, and birds or camping out in the woods have anything whatsoever to do with ANY boys attitude towards having a girlfriend or for that matter a boyfriend? The problem with gay militancy is that everything is seen through the lens of what gets inserted where and when. The Boy Scouts of America is concerned with teaching boys useful skill sets and life attitudes that make for a better adulthood. This entire subject would be different if part of the Boy Scout Manual had a chapter on how to pick up girls….but it does not. And so my gay friends….can you please just leave your raging hormones out of the equation for just a second…and realize that the Boy Scouts does not permit “gayness” for any reason other than it’s mission as an organization has NOTHING to do with a boys sex life or choice of future partners?
I noticed you gay guys don’t make much of an effort to bellyache about there not being a Gay Future Farmers of America” ……and rightly so…no decent gay guy worth his salt would get caught dead pitchforking manure out of a barn stall…..******hated it******* Note to gay people and politicians….leave the Boy Scouts alone….there’s plenty of time left in life for a Boy Scout to get his gay
pissantno.10
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 4:14pmright on i was thinking the same thing , its all about taking a boy and turning out good citzen and having fun at the same time. if this guy was every a scout he would have know better. it was one of the best things in my life and we were not little angels all the time
Report Post »jaylew
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 4:31pm…to get his gay on…….
sometimes the word “on” just has to be correctly placed.
Report Post »R.A. Bullseye
Posted on August 6, 2012 at 12:39amJaylew – I have to say I admire what you wrote. I agree with you.
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:53pmso i bet he would take the award from a gay boy scouts if they offered one, even though they are just as much haters as the real boy scouts, according to the left, people who teach their kids about morals,values and respect are haters because of their family beliefs, but if you run around kissing in public businesses, calling people names because of their beliefs,and labeling conservatives racist haters,then you are just the up most. man we are in trouble if we don’t stop this ship from taking on water, because the more we are divided on color, religion and values, the more water pours in,and the less we have to patch it back together,
Report Post »JimL
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 4:02pmNJ guv supports the corruption of minors?
Report Post »The American
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:52pmAgain with the sad little people trying to push the agenda for the perverts otherwise known as homosexuals!
Report Post »arbeauchamp
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:50pmThe REALITY of scouting is that men and boys spend a lot of time in the woods camping and hiking. They are removed from the outside world and experience lots of wonderful opportunities to develop confidence and outdoor skills. It just is NOT THE PLACE for gay boys or men. This is just the reality of the situation. Why put Boy Scouts under that pressure? Eventually, something unsavory would happen and the scouts would be sued. Leave the organization alone!
Report Post »fatjason83
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 5:06pmExactly! There has to be that level of trust when you are allowing your young son to go camping out in the woods with a group. As a scout I was lucky enough to participate with good honest people, and learned a great deal during the process. I hope that my son gets the oppurtunity to learn and grow through scouting in the same safe and trustworthy environment. People need to think about the consequences of these changes they are requesting just for the sake of diversity.
Report Post »Doug in Seattle
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:47pmThe guy has clearly been mind wiped by the liberal media.
The Boy Scouts have banned gay adults – NOT children!
And what possible reason could BSA have to justify banning gay adults?
Ask the Catholic church. They might have a clue.
Report Post »kaydeebeau
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:53pmWhy do leftists insist upon sexualizing children? Why do leftists think only in terms of sex or race for any and all issues?
Report Post »Dorugremon
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 7:40pmkaydeebeau:
“Why do leftists think only in terms of sex or race for any and all issues?”
They don’t, not really. The Hegelian Dialectic originally applied to class: Bourgeoisie vs. Proletariat. That was proved false in the wake of WW I, when the workingmen of Europe proved that they, did, indeed, have countries after all.
Rather than decide Marx was wrong, that the theory was flawed, they looked for another dialectic: “oppressor” and “oppressed”. Since straights outnumber gays, in their simplistic view, gays must be the “oppressed”. It is the lens through which they see *everything*.
There’s another term for the concept: divide and conquer.
Of course, there’s a solution to the problem. When some folks didn’t like the direction the Girl Scouts were taking, they dropped out and founded an alternative organization (American Heritage Girls) more to their liking. Of course, that solution doesn’t present the opportunity to force an ideology upon the unwilling who find it disagreeable.
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:46pmHe’s a liar as well as a bigot. NJ deserves him. If they had a lick of sense they would let him ride out of town on a rail after being tarred and feathered.
Report Post »pissantno.10
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:46pmhe just wants to go camping with the right kind of boys in there cute little pup tents i heard this from some guy from bain just saying
Report Post »uselogic
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 6:27pmsnort! nice one.
Report Post »randy
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:44pmAt the center of his issue with the exclusionary policies, Lesniak said that damage could be done to young men who he believes have no control over their orientation.
“It’s not their choice, it’s who they are and no good can come from them not being accepted for who they are,”
BS!
I am so tired of that tired argument.
Report Post »There is no such thing as a homosexual gene!
HumbleMan
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:49pmYes … BS … total BS!
If they had changed their policy I would send my eagle scout medal back .. or melt it for a fishing anchor.
There is something sick about claiming homosexuality is normal. It’s a life-style choice … that’s all. And it’s a life-style choice I don’t want my kids exposed to.,
Report Post »garylee123
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:56pmHomosexuality may not be a choice….but engaging in an homosexual act is.
Report Post »sawbuck
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:44pmThis almost sounds like a set-up..
Who in their right mind would consider anyone with a ’D’ beside their name ..Is On the ‘Patriot Path”..
Politicians with a ‘D’ beside their name today, are on the path to Communism…period.
Report Post »bdandsl
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:42pmAnother one that gets the boot.
Report Post »deeberj
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:41pm“ Lesniak said that damage could be done to young men who he believes have no control over their orientation”
Could that young man’s parents just find another community organization that accepts gays? Is the Boy Scouts the only organization he could be involved in? This is so bizarre.
Report Post »Git-R-Done
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 5:06pmThe left uses manipulating statements like that to get us to accept them.
Report Post »Diablo4965
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:40pmWhy don’t they form their own organization “ THE GAY SCOUT OF AMERICA ”. They could learn to knit,sew,needle point and put condoms on each other.
Report Post »kpeters59
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:37pmI guess he didn’t like his job.
He’ll not be re-elected, I’m sure.
Report Post »mopman64
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 4:21pmLiving in NJ trust me he will be re elected. We have a habit of re electing these ass clowns here in this state. I mean we had Jon Corzine.
Report Post »watashbuddyfriend
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:37pmDamn, if it were not for Obama, Dems, Gays, Muslims, Crooked Politicians, and the like, there would not be any posts on TheBlaze!
Report Post »JimL
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:44pmYou left out, marsupial cadaver washes up on river bank.
Report Post »watashbuddyfriend
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:56pmDang, I forgot Atheists! And,
@ JimL
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:44pm
“You left out, marsupial cadaver washes up on river bank.” They were included in the ‘like.’
Report Post »JimL
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 5:36pmThanks, cranial resemblance noted.
Report Post »TheEDGE
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:36pmGuess what Ray. We the People are going to be excluding a bunch of goons this November.
Report Post »dlivelli
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:36pmHey Gov. Christe….ya need to knock some sense into that idiot! Please put it on youtube, can’t wait to see it!
Report Post »Diablo4965
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:34pmI really can’t think of one Democrat Senator that deserves an award!
Report Post »Barabus
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:32pmHey Ray, grow a pair.
Report Post »JimL
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:30pmA scout is not an object.
Report Post »Tri-ox
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:29pmAnother delusional, anti-Christian, anti-America obama-democrat. What’s new?
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:29pmObviously picked the wrong man-girl for the award. Loser.
Report Post »Barabus
Posted on August 3, 2012 at 3:29pmHey Ray, grow a pair
Report Post »