The Pinellas County School Board voted to cut ties with a character-building educational program affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America, turning down a nearly $55,000 grant because the organization refuses to admit gay members. At a recent meeting, school board member Linda Lerner, who has a gay son and has been fighting the BSA grant for 10 years, read portions of the Boy Scouts Oath, which requires members to pledge to be "morally straight" and "clean." She added, "If you're gay, it says you're not morally straight and clean."
This article appears in Oct 13-19, 2011.