GAY ISSUE RILES LOCAL SCOUTS
Pack's shunning of gay dad's lover raises rights issue
by David Eddy
San Luis Obispo, California Telegram-Tribune
March 28, 1992
Boy Scout leaders say they will call the police if an Oceano man brings
his gay lover to any more Cub Scout pack meetings. Having the two men
at pack meetings is a "disruptive influence," according to Tim
Chamberlain, scout executive for the Santa Lucia Area Council of the Boy
Scouts of America, which covers San Luis Obispo County.
"He wouldn't hesitate a minute (to call the police)," Chamberlain said
of Cubmaster Michael Creath of Pack 419. Creath could not be reached
for comment.
The problems surfaced last weekend, when Abraham Valencia brought his
live-in companion to a Cub Scout camp-out that two of his sons were
attending at Camp French. Valencia has one other son, and has had sole
custody of the three boys for the past four years.
The two men were only going to stay for dinner, said Valencia, "because
we respect their (pack leaders') homophobia."
But Cub Scout leaders wouldn't let the partner stay. According to
Valencia, they said they'd received their direction from the national
headquarters of Boy Scouts of America in Dallas, Texas.
When contacted, Chamberlain read the scouts' position statement: "The
Boy Scouts of America have emphasized traditional family values since
the inception of the movement. We believe homosexuals do not provide a
role model for scouts that is consistent with these traditional values.
Accordingly, the Boy Scouts of America does not accept homosexuals as
members or leaders."
Though Valencia's partner is neither a member nor a leader, his presence
clearly flies in the face of the Boy Scouts' position, said Chamberlain,
and would be disruptive.
"If people are going to grandstand and express opinions contrary to the
Boy Scouts of America, he (Creath) has the right to uphold order."
Chamberlain emphasized that Valencia, as a parent, is welcome to come.
But his partner is not.
The conflict reached the boiling point Wednesday night when Valencia and
his partner took the two Cub Scouts, 11-year-old Kevin and 8-year-old
Isaac, to the pinewood derby races at North Oceano Elementary School.
Valencia's partner was told he had to leave. (The partner would not
reveal his name, because he said the publicity might hurt his chance of
getting a job.) "It got real nasty," said Valencia. "I was in the Army
10 years, and I can cuss quite a bit."
If Valencia's partner was not welcome, the boys said they would leave
too. But when they got home, Kevin said he got to thinking that the
situation was like that of Rosa Parks, a black woman who played a key
role in the civil rights movement.
"It's like Mike (Creath) was white, and us being blacks and not willing
to give up our seats on the bus," said Kevin. So they all marched back
to the meeting and Valencia's partner was allowed to stay. But they
were told he would not be welcome again. Valencia's partner said he
kept quiet.
"I was already too disgusted to say anything. I don't see why it's a
problem for me to see what (Kevin and Isaac) are doing in the Cub
Scouts," he said. Valencia said his partner is very involved in the
boys' day-to-day lives, and functions much as a parent would, making
their lunches, making sure they brush their teeth, and so on.
Going to the meetings and sharing in the boys' achievements is just
another normal part of life. "Besides," said the partner. "It's not
like we're going to /do/ anything." Indeed, Valencia said that while he
and his partner haven't even asked to go on camping trips, Creath has
brought his girlfriend along on such outings. If morality is the issue,
said Valencia, how can the scouts justify that behavior?
Chamberlain said he wasn't aware of that and couldn't comment. The Boy
Scouts of America have no policy on it, he said.
There's one other aspect of the situation that bothers Valencia. While
he doesn't have a problem with his partner being barred from meetings at
the cubmaster's home or any other private property, he doesn't think
it's right to banish the man from pack meetings at North Oceano
Elementary School.
Scott Lathrop, assistant superintendent of business for the Lucia Mar
School District, said he doesn't know whether Valencia's partner can be
barred from attending meetings at the school. On one hand, the district
certainly can't discriminate against anyone. On the other, the state
Education Code mandates that the district make the school available to
the scouts.
"We're between a rock and a hard place," he said. Lathrop said the
district's legal counsel is researching the matter, and should have an
answer next week. If the district decides Valencia's partner must be
admitted, Chamberlain said the pack will simply meet on private
property.
There is one thing that puzzles Valencia. He said there had never been
a problem with his partner attending meetings until just recently. Just
a month ago, the two men attended the Blue and Gold dinner, an annual
scouting event, and no one said a word, Valencia related. And that's
despite the fact that Creath and other parents knew the men were gay.
Valencia said the problems began -- and he claims Creath confirmed it --
after Valencia's oldest son, 13-year-old Paul, spoke out in public about
his father's homosexuality and was quoted in the next day's
Telegram-Tribune.
Paul Valencia stood up at the March 3 city council hearing on San Luis
Obispo's gay rights law and said neither his father nor the rest of the
family should have to suffer because his father is gay.
"This is not what justice is all about in this society," said Paul, who
is not gay. "The law should be passed because children of gay and
lesbian parents should not be subjected to discrimination."
Despite his plea, the law failed to pass. And because of it, his two
younger brothers probably won't be Cub Scouts much longer.
The two boys say they love scouting, but if it's a choice between
remaining Cub Scouts and putting up with discrimination, or standing by
their father's partner, they'll choose the latter.
"It sounds like he (Creath) is trying to put up a big brick wall around
him like he doesn't exist," said Kevin, nodding at his father's partner.
"That's not right."
Relevant addresses:
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Boy Scouts of America, San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune |
| Santa Lucia Area Council P.O. Box 112 |
| 1123 Mill Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+