The non-optional communniny

Behold: a guide to “inclusive scouting”:

A framework for advancing inclusion and belonging that is rooted in the Scout Oath and Law can guide our actions as we move between the different kinds of knowing. But what other guidelines and actions can facilitate inclusion and belonging in alignment with these values? In this section, we offer best-practices and guidelines to help further advance inclusion and belonging in our movement.

Meet people where they are. Given the discriminatory history of the BSA, chances are high that not everyone is committed to advancing inclusion and belonging in our movement. Those people are who we should be striving to speak with the most! It is important that we create opportunities for strong relationships and honest communication so that everyone has the opportunity to learn, challenge old habits, and live Scouting’s deepest values.

Always start with “yes”. If someone asks if they belong in Scouting, even though they’re a girl, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, an atheist, agnostic, or humanist, a person with a disability, or a refugee — and you hesitate — you’ve already made them feel like they don’t belong.

Ok, but what if they’re a bully or a boy who hates girls or a religious fanatic?

That’s one question, but I have another. Notice that there’s only one category that is a “community” as opposed to a simple noun.

I suppose that’s because it takes too long to say gay lesbian and then all the other labels. But the result is that lesbians and men who call themselves lesbians are lumped together into a community with trans people whether they want to be or not, and Scouts are trained to think of them as a community whether it makes any sense or not. It’s kind of like being married off whether you want to be or not. If you’re gay, sorry, you’re drafted into this invented “community” without your consent.

4 Responses to “The non-optional communniny”

Leave a Comment

Subscribe without commenting