Disney World Pulls Funding For Boy Scouts Over Lgbt Ban

[StMichael]

http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-79466339/

 

Disney World pulls funding for Boy Scouts over LGBT ban

 

Walt Disney World will no longer subsidize local chapters of the Boy Scouts of America, in response to the national organization's continued ban on allowing LGBT troop leaders.

 

The theme park has donated in the past to the Orlando-area Boy Scouts as part of its "Ears to You" program, which gives money to causes for which its employees volunteer. The Walt Disney Company's "Standards of Business Conduct" includes protections against "harassment or discrimination" based on, amongst other things, "sex, sexual orientation, and gender identification."

 

The Boy Scouts of America voted last spring to allow openly gay youth scouts, but kept its ban on openly gay troop leaders.

 

"We recognize that many Scout Units have received financial support over the last several years from this grant opportunity and are sad to see it go," the Scouts' Central Florida Council Board President Robert Utsey wrote in an email to local members. "The National BSA Council has reached out to WDW to try to resolve the situation, however, according to WDW, their views do not currently align with the BSA and they are choosing to discontinue this level of support. We will continue to keep an open line of communication with them, but at this time, are unable to reverse their decision."

 

Every year, tens of thousands of LGBT people gather on the first weekend in June at Walt Disney World and other Orlando theme parks and resorts, making it one of the biggest LGBT group celebrations in the world. Disney does not officially recognize the "Gay Day," but has not discouraged the tradition, which has earned it the wrath of conservative and religious groups. It also has offered health benefits to same-sex partners of employees since 1995, and allows same-sex marriage ceremonies on its grounds.

 

Reuters

[StMichael]

Sadly, Disney has been moving away from what Walt created. You can see it in the parks as well as their ownership of outlets like ESPN, ABC, etc. The funny thing is that Walt's last project was a glorification of the Boy Scouts called "Follow Me, Boys!" which was based on the book "God and My Country"by MacKinlay Kantor. Apparently the Scouts have been playing this movie every year at their national gatherings.

 

Unlike the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts still adhere to a Christian foundation, which rejects this preference.

Edited February 28, 2014 by StMichael

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

And then next round of arguments and "reform" begin...

[NotreDame]

scary that they make so many "children's" movies, huh?

[StMichael]

I see that no name, on the side of Disney World, is being credited with this decision, but it is interesting that Disney World installs the first openly gay President just last year and this year they cease funding the Boy Scouts. 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/05/george-kalogridis-walt-disney-world-gay-president_n_2624080.html

George Kalogridis Becomes Walt Disney World's First Openly Gay President

Walt Disney World has, of course, long courted a gay following. But now, the Orlando-based resort is taking the next step by welcoming its first openly gay president.

 

On Feb. 1, George Kalogridis became Disney World's fifth president, after having served as president of California's Disneyland since 2009. As South Florida Gay News reports, the 59-year-old Kalogridis has been with the Walt Disney Company since 1971, when he landed a job bussing tables at Disney's Contemporary Resort on the Orlando property.

 

The Orlando Business Journal also notes that Kalogridis -- who replaces Meg Crofton -- will oversee more than 66,000 cast members in his new role, which is nearly three times the amount he managed while at Disneyland. Meanwhile, Crofton assumed the role of president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations, U.S. and France.

 

"Everybody has a unique leadership style, but I think we have a common vision as a segment, and that's how we operate all of our parks around the world," he is quoted by the Orlando Sentinel as saying. "This is a volatile business world and things change, and so it's really more how can we as a team make sure that we adapt."

 

The Sentinel also cites friends and colleagues who describe Kalogridis as "breathing Disney." The publication points out that he and longtime partner Andy Hardy (who also reportedly works for Disney) are planning to build a home in Golden Oak, Disney World's new luxury subdivision.

 

In 2011, Kalogridis was featured in an "It Gets Better" video, where he addressed "anyone who has ever been bullied, teased, or harassed for being different,"popular Disney blog Inside the Magic pointed out.

[X_Protestant]

The BSA is not a Christian organization. They have supported "faith in God" in the broad brush stroke and recognize any theist religion.  Jewish, Muslim, Budhist to name a few others.  While the BSA does not administer the religious awards it highly encourages youth to earn the one that represents them and there is a plethora of religious award recognized as valid by the BSA.

Unlike the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts still adhere to a Christian foundation, which rejects this preference.

 

Edited March 1, 2014 by X_Protestant

[4588686]

Yay!

[Luigi]

I wonder how many years the Disney organization supported the Boy Scouts while the Scouts refused to admit GBT boys.

 

They should have to publicly humiliate themselves, do public penance, and apologize profusely for all those years of wrongheadedness. Shame on them!

Edited March 1, 2014 by Luigi

[Ice_nine]

let's not pretend Disney Co. was ever a bastion of morality. plz

[StMichael]

Ice, never claimed that Disney was a bastion of morality, but it was the last standing company that a family could enjoy and was safe not to contradict Christian values. 

 

X, unlike the Girl Scouts, which is nothing more than extension of progressive indoctrination and money raising for abortion clinics, the Boy Scouts seemed to maintain a Christian foundation. Didn't say it was Opus Dei, but maintain values in line with Christian teachings. Maybe this reflects the areas they might be in, I cannot say. While my exposure to the Boy Scouts has been around Catholic settings (as a young boy, now as witness in Catholic parishes, etc.).

 

Regardless, I am saddened that Disney has done this, as well as other things recently (first gay couple on the Disney Channel - Good Luck Charlie) that my dollars are in jeopardy of ever going their way.

 

[4588686]

 

Regardless, I am saddened that Disney has done this, as well as other things recently (first gay couple on the Disney Channel - Good Luck Charlie) that my dollars are in jeopardy of ever going their way.

 

 

Are you nine?  Because otherwise I'm confused as to why you dollars were ever going to go to Disney in the first place.  

 

#manchild

[Aloysius]

hahaha it's kind of hilarious that the article is saying that the boy scouts has a LGBT ban... how dare they not let lesbians become boy scout leaders, right?

[NotreDame]

hahaha it's kind of hilarious that the article is saying that the boy scouts has a LGBT ban... how dare they not let lesbians become boy scout leaders, right?

 

Women can be den leaders.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/25/us/ohio-den-leader-campaign/
 

[Aloysius]

oh.  oops.  lol I was never a boy scout so I don't know too much about them, I just assumed it was an all male organization.

[mcts]

The boy scouts also have a branch called Venture Scouts that has female youth members.