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Scout cuts roil supporters United Way decision on gays draws protests, a bit of support By JONEL ALECCIA A flurry of heated phone calls, letters and e-mails has followed a United Way of Jackson County decision to cut funding to the local Boy Scouts chapter in protest of a discrimination policy against homosexuals. Representatives from both agencies say they've received 50 or 60 contacts apiece in the three weeks since the United Way voted to progressively cut the Boy Scouts' funding, starting with a 15 percent drop this year. At issue is the Scouts' refusal to sign a policy stating that the agency will not discriminate based on sexual orientation. "It probably wouldn't surprise you to know that we're getting a lot of support for our position," said Ed Roussell, development director for the Crater Lake Council of the Boy Scouts of America. "I think that this is an issue that has touched a nerve, certainly." Critics of the United Way have outnumbered supporters three to one, said Jon Mitchell, president of the agency's board of directors. Some contacts have been friendly, but many have been hostile, he said. "A couple of the calls I've had have indicated that they will no longer send their money to the United Way," Mitchell said, adding that the response was expected. In contrast, many supportive missives have come to the Boy Scouts with money attached, said Roussell, who estimated the local chapter has received some $2,000 since the March 28 United Way vote. That's about one-third of the more than $6,000 that will be trimmed from United Way's allocation to the local Boy Scouts chapter July 1. The agency voted to cut funding to the Boy Scouts by 15 percent this year and every year as long as the Scouts' policy conflicts with the anti-discrimination stance of the United Way. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year upheld the Boy Scouts' right to bar homosexuals from serving in leadership positions. Since then, at least 50 of the 1,370 United Ways across the country have denied some or all funding to Boy Scouts chapters. While local Boy Scouts organizers welcome support, Roussell said the tenor of some comments has been disturbing. For instance, some callers have aligned themselves with Oregon anti-gay-rights activist Lon Mabon. "We do not, underscore DO NOT, associate with that view," Roussell said. "There are individuals who want to take a more anti-gay stance, who identify themselves with religious elements. On a national level, we've had to disassociate ourselves with those people." The local United Way decision to progressively cut funding while working toward a solution represented a compromise, said Dee Anne Everson, executive director. The agency sought a way to continue support for Boy Scouts and the 2,400 local youth it serves while still upholding its own anti-discrimination policy. In place since 1977, the policy was changed in 1998 to include sexual orientation. The local United Way's decision drew national attention last week when it was noted in an article published in the April 19 issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a newspaper for the nonprofit world. "A lot of United Ways have made all-or-nothing decisions on defunding the Scouts, but we wanted to allow the integrity of both organizations to stand," Everson was quoted as saying. Of the 10 United Ways in Southern and Eastern Oregon and Northern California that support local Boy Scouts chapters, none of the others has cut funding, Roussell said. That made the Jackson County decision particularly surprising, he added. "It's really a bit of a puzzle for us. We think that United Way has generally been an excellent organization to reflect community mores," he said. "While we're certainly not objective, from our point of view, it seems that most of the community is severely divided on this issue." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.