Standing Up To the Boy Scouts' Homophobia in Philadelphia
Could there be a more dysfunctional relationship than the one between the city of Philadelphia and the Boy Scouts of America? The two have had quite the tumultuous year, and sadly for all of us, the year is about to end with discrimination the victor.The story goes like this. Philadelphia adopted a very stringent and detailed anti-discrimination policy that prevents the city (and those partnering with the city) to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Because the Boy Scouts of America, which uses a rent-free property on city land to hold their meetings, continue to bar openly gay people from serving as scouts or scout leaders in any capacity, that essentially meant that the Boy Scouts were violating the city's anti-discrimination ordinance. As such, city leaders gave the Philadelphia chapter of the Boy Scouts an ultimatum: condemn anti-gay discrimination, or we're going to stop allowing you to use city property rent-free and you'll have to pay a monthly rent.
The Boy Scouts of America did not like that. So they sued. And this past summer, a federal jury actually ruled in favor of the Boy Scouts, much to the dismay of gay rights activists and basically anyone opposed to unjust discrimination. Hrumph.
But legal wranglings being what they are, the drama didn't stop there. Soon the Boy Scouts wanted the city of Philadelphia to pay their legal costs, which they said amounted to upwards of $1 million. City leaders in Philadelphia protested, and a judge finally took both parties into a room and called for a settlement.
And a settlement is what we got last month, when the city of Philadelphia and the Boy Scouts of America agreed to a deal that would eventually turn the city property over to the Boy Scouts, provided the group could pay $500,000 over the next two years to the purchase the building. For its part, the city made two stipulations: that the Boy Scouts couldn't turn around the sell the building for a decade, and that until the Scouts owned the property, they would have to allow community groups to use the space, including groups that are LGBT-friendly. Oh, and in return, the Boy Scouts would stop trying to pursue $1 million in legal fees from Philadelphia taxpayers.
So what kind of taste does that settlement leave in your mouth? Well, for many LGBT activists in Philadelphia, it was kind of sour mixed with a little bit of rancid. So the Boy Scouts get a building way below its market value, and though they have to play nice for the next two years, they can go right back to their discriminatory ways once the building is theirs. And in the meantime, any gay scout or scout leader who comes out is promptly booted across the street
Is this case closed? Not so fast. Because now there's word that a wealthy real estate investor wants to actually pay much more money than the Boy Scouts for this building. And what's he want to do with the building?
Don't call him Superman. Just call him Mel Heifetz, who wants to drop $1.5 million to the city of Philadelphia in order to purchase the building. The math there is simple: Heifetz is willing to match the $500,000 that the Boy Scouts would have to pay for the building, plus he's willing to cover the nearly $1 million in legal costs that the Boy Scouts say Philadelphia owes them.
"I thought maybe we can right a wrong. It would be very nice if the building were in the hands of some gay group," said Heifetz. And Heifetz means business here. Several years ago, he bought the mortgage of the William Way Community Center, which serves the LGBT community.
So what could possibly hold the city back from wanting to make this deal? We're not sure. Because under Heifetz's proposal, the city loses no money and the building eventually gets used by a group working for LGBT rights. While under the settlement, the Boy Scouts get rewarded with city property for calling gay people immoral.
Philadelphia's City Council and Mayor have been mum so far on Heifetz's proposal. Let's help push them in the direction of accepting it. Send the fine folks in Philly a message that the settlement offered here with the Boy Scouts only legitimizes discrimination. And for the cost of ... well, nothing ... the city now has a deal on the table that would fight back against a culture of discrimination, and reward a group working to advance LGBT equality. And that's a win-win situation for everyone.
Well, save for the tired policy of the Boy Scouts that continues to trash LGBT people.
Photo credit: apium
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