As an American I can love the US and criticize Obama. There is room to criticize the leadership of the church while loving Catholics.

Oh, please. The article is talking about the Pope specifically as a leader of a church heirarchy. No one is slamming Catholics as a population. Saying that you cannot say "fuck the Pope" without slandering all Catholics is exactly the same as saying that criticizing Obama (or Bush) is the same as slandering all…

I second this notion!

I don't think that's a given — movements can be changed significantly when their leadership realizes that their messaging is so unsuitable to their target audience that their ranks have shriveled to nothing.

I'm just so glad they threw some tits in there so I'd know where to look! WHERE'S MY FOOD PELLET!? Oh it's there, next to the tits.

Well stated all around!

There's some great stuff in there. I know a lot of incredible, intelligent, accepting Scouts (and yes, a few of them are queer) and the most disappointing thing about this whole ordeal to me is that I feel that the BSA's official position GREATLY devalues the symbols of Scouting that these kids worked hard to earn. …

I acknowledge your point, though I don't feel there's any argument to be made AGAINST lifting the ban, so I don't see the need for taking the temperature on this issue. I think this makes the whole thing uglier on BSA's side. "Well, a bunch of us really ~like~ discriminating against gay kids (and "non-theists") so…

If you're a fan at all, I *really* recommend listening to their commentaries on the Tom Goes to the Mayor DVDs. There's a commentary for every episode and I was initially pretty surprised at how low-key, focused and interesting their commentaries are. Also, great stories about the horror of working with Gary Busey.

UGH UGH UGH. We had an Orchestra teacher who would make all the female musicians sit in front of him and hold their instrument for a "skirt check" to be sure their skirts weren't too revealing which just... ugh. We also had an overly avuncular math teacher who would make a masturbation joke (usually vaseline…

Here's a terrific link that collates the letters of over 200 Eagle Scouts who have renounced their affiliation due to this and other exclusionary policies. Some great reads:

Speaking as a person whose family is involved in Scouting all the way through Eagle level, I can say that there's been a LOT of feedback from the Scouting community itself already. This is just a delay / diversion tactic — "we need time to listen," despite the voices that have been coming their way for years and…

I'm saying it's a diversion. It's like a business saying "We take these issues very seriously." People have been telling BSA to drop it's exclusive policies for years and all of a sudden they "need to take time to listen—" they should've been listening all along.

- persecution complex

Except public opinion on this is already pretty well established and there's no indication that they'd follow through on the opinions of their membership, just that they're "listening."

Given their record, I cannot imagine this refers to anything but cisgendered, heterosexual men. These guys really worked hard to earn those Othering badges, you know!

That's for sure, "el ladrón juzga por su condición —" the thief thinks everyone else is a thief.

Excuse me, HOW am I supposed to fit all my IMPORTANT MALE OPINIONS in this wagon!? They are FRAGILE AND NOT TO BE JOSTLED OR CHALLENGED.

Hear, hear. And furthermore, every time I read one of these moronic things, I want to say—

Ugh, I should've KNOWN some WOMAN would try to make me take responsibility for my own actions! I'm outta here — TO THE PRIVILEGEMOBILE!