It would seem there's some controversy over a scoutmaster who was removed from a Boy Scouts troop in Loudon County, Va. But as is often the case, it's not her performance that's in question. It's her sexuality.
Denise Steele, a mother of two, was a good leader, according to her partner Jackie Funk. The troop finished badges and won awards rather quickly. There were never any problems, much less problems caused by her sexuality. In fact, many of the guys respected her.
“Some of the guys would come down and ask her advice,” Funk said. “Being a woman, forget about the gay part, it didn’t matter. They respected her for her commitment and what she offered and how much she put into it. They respected her.”
But then one day, another assistant scoutmaster saw Funk pick Steele up from an event and started questioning all the couple's friends as to the nature of their relationship. And when he found out they were lesbians, he went straight to the top.
“I saw that he was vindictive and on a witch hunt because he asked her personal friends what her sexuality was. There’s no business in that. It’s a shame that a good leader for the boys has been removed because of one person who’s eccentric when it comes to his religious belief,” said Joe Leonard, another assistant scout master. “It’s also a sad note that [Boy Scouts of America] has not or is not willing to entertain what other private organizations have done and their beliefs.”
Here's the twist. The BSA says they never received any complaint. They claim the report must have been filed on the local level. And if that's the case, their hands are tied because local groups are allowed to make those decisions on their own. But we do all know that the BSA believes that open homosexuality is inconsistent with the values of the organization, so this kind of thing happens more often than you’d think.
Denise Steele, a mother of two, was a good leader, according to her partner Jackie Funk. The troop finished badges and won awards rather quickly. There were never any problems, much less problems caused by her sexuality. In fact, many of the guys respected her.
“Some of the guys would come down and ask her advice,” Funk said. “Being a woman, forget about the gay part, it didn’t matter. They respected her for her commitment and what she offered and how much she put into it. They respected her.”
But then one day, another assistant scoutmaster saw Funk pick Steele up from an event and started questioning all the couple's friends as to the nature of their relationship. And when he found out they were lesbians, he went straight to the top.
“I saw that he was vindictive and on a witch hunt because he asked her personal friends what her sexuality was. There’s no business in that. It’s a shame that a good leader for the boys has been removed because of one person who’s eccentric when it comes to his religious belief,” said Joe Leonard, another assistant scout master. “It’s also a sad note that [Boy Scouts of America] has not or is not willing to entertain what other private organizations have done and their beliefs.”
Here's the twist. The BSA says they never received any complaint. They claim the report must have been filed on the local level. And if that's the case, their hands are tied because local groups are allowed to make those decisions on their own. But we do all know that the BSA believes that open homosexuality is inconsistent with the values of the organization, so this kind of thing happens more often than you’d think.