By delaying their decision on allowing gay Scouts, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) gave the anti-equality forces time to pull together their arguments for the May meeting. While I’m curious to hear what the downsides of inclusive Scouting are, I suggest they stay away from the bathroom argument, because they’re already losing it.
The bathroom argument was brought back to mainstream discourse by retired Army Gen. Jerry Boykin, who was speaking on Fox News Sunday against the plan to open military combat roles to women. “There’s no opportunity for people to have any privacy whatsoever … I certainly don’t want to be in that environment with a female because it’s degrading and humiliating enough to do your personal hygiene and other normal functions among your teammates,” said Gen. Boykin.
This is only the most recent, and perhaps pathetic, iteration of a line of alleged reasoning strewn through American history.
Whether openly lesbian, gay and bisexual servicemembers needed their own bathrooms, or even barracks, was one of the issues that delayed the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. It continues to be used against transgender Americans who want to serve.
The segregation of African Americans in the public sphere was perhaps the worst and most pervasive example of a similar argument, but it was also used against their integration in the military, and against the participation of women into the work place. Some leader of the American Revolution probably thought, “We’d love the help of the French, but where will this Lafayette relieve himself.”
One can certainly imagine the BSA coming up with a similar argument, perhaps something like: “On our longer outings, it’s scary enough for the Scouts to get used to relieving themselves outside without being concerned there are homosexuals afoot.”
Before the BSA goes there, I suggest they look at the response of retired Air Force Col. Martha McSally to Gen. Boykin, “Privacy is a red herring. You can figure out the privacy issues, as long as you have the most capable, qualified, force. That should be no reason for exclusionary policies.”
McSally also had the answer to those who think that integration leads to misconduct, “When you have an environment where women are treated as sort of second-class warriors … you create this subconscious feeling that … women are not quite equal … that adds to our problem of sexual harassment and sexual assault.” Not to mention that improved screening to weed out offenders is a better way to limit problems than unequal treatment of everyone.
Business increasingly sees the benefits of workforce diversity, and is worried more about letting people out of the oppressive closet and less about the water closet. Creating some gender neutral bathrooms is much cheaper that losing valued employees, or never meeting potential ones, because of discriminatory policies.
In that vein, my guess is that Gov. Rick Perry would have a better shot at luring San Diego companies to Texas with an Employment Non-Discrimination Act than the commercials currently airing locally.
On their Web site, the BSA says they will “prepare every eligible youth in America to become a responsible participating citizen and leader …”
Teaching them that discrimination is OK only limits where they can lead and participate. Worrying about privacy is indeed a red herring and is no reason not to put together the best team. The military and business are figuring that out, and so should the BSA.
Maybe they can start by offering merit badges for overcoming barriers to inclusion.
