Boy Scouts sue Philadelphia over rent, policy barring gays

A Boy Scouts chapter engaged in a long fight over gay rights has sued the city of Philadelphia to try to avoid paying $200,000 a year in rent to stay in the city-owned space that has been its headquarters for ...

[OldMan]

Philadelphia, Have you ever been in a more dirty city. I haven't and I have traveled the whole country. It is one big ghetto. The Boy Scouts should pack up and leave the city.

[Daniel P from Long Island]

The Boy Scouts should pay fair market rent. Or Alternatively, get out. After all they DO discriminate against people on various thins.

and YES, i WAS a Cub Scout AND a Boy Scout.

[Daniel P from Long Island]

P.S. our church used to sponsor a Boy scout troop, but dropped that sponsorship after the adoption of the church's Open and Affirming Statement.

[Craig in OKC]

John Flanagan wrote:

Another example of the radical terrorist gay agenda to intimidate the Boy Scouts, deprive them of their constitutional rights of free speech and freedom of association, and install their perverts into the organization. I hope the Boy Scouts as an organization resists these Bolshevik practices. Let the gays form their own Gay boy scouts and hire perverts to run it as they please. Let Steven Spielberg and his like minded liberal friends support a gay scouts organization and let the true heterosexual Boy Scouts alone. We live in a sick society when even the Boy Scouts can't be left in peace by these twisted, sick, and immoral gay groups.

They can exclude anybody they want. Nobody is filing suit to make them accept anybody. It just can't be done at taxpayer expense as that violates the city's anti-discrimination law. If you feel so strongly about it, maybe you can send them the $200,000 a year for the rent then everybody is happy.

[Mr Common Sense]

"I think they think that their First Amendment right trumps our local ordinance," Smith said.

Uh, last time I checked the U.S. Constitution was the highest law of the land, not some local ordinance.

[Mr Common Sense]

Craig in OKC wrote:

<quoted text> They can exclude anybody they want. Nobody is filing suit to make them accept anybody. It just can't be done at taxpayer expense as that violates the city's anti-discrimination law. If you feel so strongly about it, maybe you can send them the $200,000 a year for the rent then everybody is happy.

You are punishing them for their beliefs. You wouldn't punish Muslims for their beliefs.

[Daniel P from Long Island]

Mr Common Sense wrote:

<quoted text>
You are punishing them for their beliefs. You wouldn't punish Muslims for their beliefs.

They are not being punished for their beliefs. They are being asked to pay fair market value for rent.

Why is this so hard for some to understand ?!

[Just Saying]

The Boy Scouts have served America well for almost a century. They are a worthwhile organization that has helped millions of boys to become productive members of our society, including political and military leaders, business executives, astronauts, etc. They don't deserve to be sacrificed on the altar of political correctness to satisfy the demands of those who mostly were never part of Scouting themselves, and know nothing about it, yet try to push their values and agenda on this organization, aided and abetted by grovelling, pandering politicians and do-gooders. Learn something about Scouting, and their history, before knocking them!

[Just Saying]

Daniel P from Long Island wrote:

<quoted text>
They are not being punished for their beliefs. They are being asked to pay fair market value for rent.
Why is this so hard for some to understand ?!

Baloney! They are only being charged "fair market value" for the headquarters they have occupied for years because of agitation against the organization by gay activists and other troublemakers. Meanwhile, Philadelphia has seen it's murder rate skyrocket, and is now one of the highest crime cities in the country. Instead of harassing the Boy Scouts, why not address and fix Philadelphia's many other major problems instead?

[Daniel P from Long Island]

Just Saying wrote:

The Boy Scouts have served America well for almost a century. They are a worthwhile organization that has helped millions of boys to become productive members of our society, including political and military leaders, business executives, astronauts, etc. They don't deserve to be sacrificed on the altar of political correctness to satisfy the demands of those who mostly were never part of Scouting themselves, and know nothing about it, yet try to push their values and agenda on this organization, aided and abetted by grovelling, pandering politicians and do-gooders. Learn something about Scouting, and their history, before knocking them!

I was a Cub Scout AND a Boy Scout.

Once again: They are being asked to pay fair market value for rent.

What is so hard to understand about this ?

[Craig in OKC]

Just Saying wrote:

The Boy Scouts have served America well for almost a century. They are a worthwhile organization that has helped millions of boys to become productive members of our society, including political and military leaders, business executives, astronauts, etc. They don't deserve to be sacrificed on the altar of political correctness to satisfy the demands of those who mostly were never part of Scouting themselves, and know nothing about it, yet try to push their values and agenda on this organization, aided and abetted by grovelling, pandering politicians and do-gooders. Learn something about Scouting, and their history, before knocking them!

Hmmm... well, their history includes stripping decorated Eagle Scouts of their status merely because they were gay. These young men proved themselves to be exceptional scouts, since less than 4% of all scouts attain this level, but just because they are gay they aren't worthy? Don't forget that history also shows several hundred Eagle Scouts have returned their badges over the last several years in protest of the discrimination of gays. These are the ones that portray the true basis of the scouting oath.

[Daniel P from Long Island]

Just Saying wrote:

<quoted text>Baloney! They are only being charged "fair market value" for the headquarters they have occupied for years because of agitation against the organization by gay activists and other troublemakers. Meanwhile, Philadelphia has seen it's murder rate skyrocket, and is now one of the highest crime cities in the country. Instead of harassing the Boy Scouts, why not address and fix Philadelphia's many other major problems instead?

See above post.

I don't think a judge is going to agree with you.....

BTW, do you think that it is ok for them to discriminate on the basis of religion and not allow boys of the Buddhist or Hindu faiths to become members ? Surely Buddhist and Hindu boys COULD be capable of being good Scouts, couldn't they ?

[Dasein9]

Interesting. The Boy Scouts wants to both discriminate and receive special privileges at taxpayer expense, contrary to the law.

The organisation made its choice. Now it should man up and live with the consequences of that choice.

[Daniel P from Long Island]

Dasein9 wrote:

Interesting. The Boy Scouts wants to both discriminate and receive special privileges at taxpayer expense, contrary to the law.
The organisation made its choice. Now it should man up and live with the consequences of that choice.

I'm a former Boy Scout and i AGREE with you !

[ACLU-Tom]

No private organization, the Boy Scouts included, has a right to $199,999 worth of taxpayer subsidized rent a year.

John Flanagan wrote:

Another example of the radical terrorist gay agenda to intimidate the Boy Scouts, deprive them of their constitutional rights of free speech and freedom of association, and install their perverts into the organization. I hope the Boy Scouts as an organization resists these Bolshevik practices. Let the gays form their own Gay boy scouts and hire perverts to run it as they please. Let Steven Spielberg and his like minded liberal friends support a gay scouts organization and let the true heterosexual Boy Scouts alone. We live in a sick society when even the Boy Scouts can't be left in peace by these twisted, sick, and immoral gay groups.

[LookingToEscape]

Just Saying wrote:

<quoted text>Instead of harassing the Boy Scouts, why not address and fix Philadelphia's many other major problems instead?

Because it's easier to beat up the Boy Scouts.
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The Scouts have less to lose by leaving Philadelphia, but this should be a warning to any group that gives property to a political unit, more than likely you'll end up with a knife in your back.
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The interesting part was:

"I think they think that their First Amendment right trumps our local ordinance," Smith said.

Well Miss Smith, federal law does trump Philadelphia's social engineering policies.
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I stay out of Philadelphia anymore, the Scouts should too. Philly can then raise taxes to hire more social workers to replace the services the Scouts did free.

[LookingToEscape]

ACLU-Tom wrote:

No private organization, the Boy Scouts included, has a right to $199,999 worth of taxpayer subsidized rent a year.
<quoted text>

Does Philadelphia get more than $199,999 worth of services out of the Scouts. If the Scouts saved a few kids from prison, how much would that save the taxpayers?
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Maybe the Scouts should bill Philadelphia for the difference?

[Inquisitive]

The lease states that the Boy Scouts can inhabit the building "in perpituity" for $1 per year. Look it up. The city wants to break the contract.

[Inquisitive]

By the way, the scouts paid for the building. The city owns the land.

[ZZZ]

Daniel P from Long Island wrote:

The Boy Scouts should pay fair market rent. Or Alternatively, get out. After all they DO discriminate against people on various thins.
and YES, i WAS a Cub Scout AND a Boy Scout.

So does that mean you think the city should reimburse the Boy Scouts for all of the money they invested into the property over the years?