Please read the below important message, take action and lend your support to the United Way by encouraging continued policies of equality for all Boy Scout Councils. The Central Ohio United Way will decide in Mid-February whether or not to fund the Boy Scouts of America. Currently, the Simon Kenton Council of the Boy Scouts of America does not comply with the United Way non-discrimination policy that is required by all beneficiary organizations. The Boy Scouts will not completely agree to the policy because it bans discrimination based on sexual orientation. There are two things that we need you to do.
1. Write a letter to Janet Jackson, Pres and CEO of the Central Ohio United Way at jjackson@uwcentralohio.org.
or mail to:
United Way of Central Ohio
Attn: Janet Jackson
360 S 3rd Street
Columbus, OH 43215
A sample letter follows.
Dear Ms Jackson,
I am writing today to encourage you not to provide funding for the Simon Kenton Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Unless the Council agrees to unconditionally follow the entire non-discrimination policy of the United Way of Central Ohio, its current discriminatory policies does not allow it the privilege of your support.
The Boy Scouts of America successfully defended its right in the US Supreme Court that as a private organization it has the ability to discriminate based on sexual orientation. While I do not agree with the BSA, they have proven their right to do so. The BSA should not however expect the support of great organizations such as the United Way. Your organization has a nondiscrimination policy that all beneficiary organizations must agree to. Do not bend the rules for one group. They know the rules and you have offered them generous amounts of time to adhere to your conditions. They have chosen not to fulfill the conditions of the agreement for funding.
That leaves the United Way only one choice – do not provide funding to an organization that does not adhere to the letter or the spirit of your policies. Do not provide funding for the Simon Kenton Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Sincerely,
Your name
Your address
2. We are in search of current and former Boy Scouts in Central Ohio
that are willing to step forward to fight the discrimination of that organization. We want to find people that have personal experience with the BSA and identify themselves as gay. We will then organize to present our stories to the United Way Board of Trustees as to why the BSA should not receive funding from United Way.
Please contact David Cunningham at dccunningham@columbus.rr.com if you would like to share your story and feel that the United Way should not provide funding to an organization that does not follow the United Way non-discrimination policy.
Thank you in advance for your help
