United Way cuts off general Boy Scout funding

Local Boy Scouts are being forced to re-evaluate their funding sources after the Monroe County United Way board ruled to cut funding to groups that refuse to sign a nondiscrimination policy. \nThe Boy Scouts cannot sign the policy, scout executive Randy Brown said, due to the barring of homosexual leaders and scouts from their organization.\n"We're not going to sign it. We're not able to sign it," Brown said. "It's because our policy does not permit us to have homosexuals in leadership positions."\nThe policy, which covers discrimination based on race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, is the first in Indiana to extend its nondiscrimination policy to member agencies.\nThe Boy Scouts are not mentioned by name in the document, but officials acknowledged the policy was prompted by concern over a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows the Boy Scouts to bar homosexuals from their ranks.\nA United Way chapter in Maine and one in Rhode Island both adopted similar policies after the Supreme Court upheld the Boy Scouts' right to bar homosexuals from the organization. Eight other United Way chapters nationwide had passed similar policies before the ruling, according to the national United Way of America.\nEven though the policy was unanimously approved, United Way of Monroe County Board President Barry Lessow said it was a difficult decision.\n"There was an increased awareness in the community that the scouts did have this policy that excluded gay people and people who would not take an oath to God from being members or volunteers or leaders in the scouts," he said.\n"Especially because of the increased publicity, we've heard a lot from members of the community telling us they were uncomfortable supporting United Way and in turn supporting the Boy Scouts and this policy from a fairly widespread group of people who felt this was something they weren't comfortable with." \nLessow added the board came away with "with a very strong sense that people really value equal access to all people in the community."\nWord of the Monroe County agency's decision got response from other United Way groups statewide.\n"We are listening to any feedback we get from the community on this very sensitive subject and sharing it with our volunteer board members," Ellen K. Annala, president of the United Way of Central Indiana, said to The Associated Press.\nThe Boy Scouts chapter in Bloomington received $22,000 from both donor-designated money as well as general United Way money last year, Brown said. Six thousand dollars of that was from the donor-designated money.\nDonor-designated money is money that contributors specifically allocate to the Boy Scouts. This funding will still be allowed to be given through the United Way to the Boy Scouts.\nThere are three options the Boy Scouts have to replace the lost funding, Brown said.\nThe first method is to continue the donor-designated money to the Boy Scouts through the United Way. Another is improving the Boy Scouts' own fundraising efforts. The third involves doing away with some of the current activities the organization offers.\n"We would be forced to reduce our services in this county, and therefore reduce the number of kids involved in scouting," Brown said. "That's the last option."\nThe Associated Press contributed to this story.