Another Scout Leader Bites The Dust

In a continuing fight within the Boy Scouts of America, another Eagle Scout and adult leader within the organization has been unceremoniously fired. Brian Peffly, 35, was ousted in March from a Columbus, Ohio chapter of the Boy Scouts simply because he is gay. A lifetime scout who achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, Peffly has been involved with the Boy Scouts off and on for most of his life.

An intensive-care-unit nurse, Peffly thought his sexual orientation would not be an issue. “I knew that I was accepted (by the local chapter); they didn’t care about my orientation,” said Peffly. “Why does that need to come up if you’re teaching fire-building or first aid or whatever?”

The Simon Kenton Council, the local Columbus, Ohio chapter, has a nondiscrimination policy that includes sexual orientation. Last September the Council adopted a policy says the Simon Kenton Council “does not believe in denying membership in our program to a youth or adult leader on the basis of sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, disability or economic status.” The policy is in direct conflict with the national Boy Scouts organization which allows gay scouts but not gay scout leaders.

When Peffly revealed his sexual orientation in an interview with a local TV station, the local chapter alerted the national organization. Nonetheless, a few months later, Peffly received his Boy Scouts of America membership card making him an official assistant scoutmaster. In March the national organization stepped in and fired Peffly without mentioning his sexual orientation as a reason for his ousting.

While private organizations, e.g. country clubs, can have policies that discriminate against anyone, the Boy Scouts receives funding from state, local and federal governments through the use of facilities to hold Scout meetings, as well as other forms of in-kind donations. This conflict is what made the Boy Scouts of America accept gay scouts, now it looks like the policy of discriminating against gay, adult scout leaders is going to be the next frontier.