United Way of the Bluegrass has
withdrawn its annual donation to the Boy Scouts of America's Blue
Grass Council over the Boy Scouts' ban on adult gay leaders.
A recently approved policy allowing gay
youth to join the Boy Scouts takes effect on January 1, but gay
adults remain banned from the program.
United Way of the Bluegrass was the
local council's largest single donor, contributing $96,000 a year to
the group, according to the Herald
Leader.
Scout executive Chip Armishaw said that
the loss amounted to 5 percent of the Kentucky group's annual $2
million budget.
“We're going to walk on faith that
the scouting community will close ranks behind us and support us,”
Armishaw said. “They always do and we know they will come to us in
our time of need.”
United Way of the Bluegrass President
Bill Farmer explained his decision in a
blog post at the group's website: “Discrimination is harmful at
all levels. Policies that create obstacles to success in the areas
of education, financial stability, and health are not creating
solutions that are in the best interest of the community.”
“We felt that it was important to
continue to spread the message about the harmful effects
discrimination has on our young children as well as adults,” he
added.