August 14, 2002
An ill-conceived policy decision that went into effect as of July 1 st may very well bring down a 100-year-old charitable organization. Back in February, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) proclaimed that it would not discriminate against openly homosexual volunteers who signed up to serve as mentors. Bad decision. Before you brand me with the ‘homophobe' label, understand my logic.
This is not a pro-gay or anti-gay issue. This is a common sense issue. You don't entrust a child, many times in overnight visits, to an adult who might find them sexually attractive. How hard is that? BBBSA would certainly not sign off on a young adult male taking a teenage girl for the weekend to stay at his apartment. Still, the forces of political correctness have once again clouded good judgment. In an effort to be sensitive to the homosexual community, BBBSA has become grossly insensitive to the well-being of the children they aim to help. Exposing children to potential predators is certainly not in the best interest of the children.
Now, don't misconstrue my point. I'm not suggesting that all homosexuals are predators. What I am suggesting is that making young boys available to gays and young girls available lesbians will have the predators flocking to their doors. Imagine if BBBSA announced that it was changing its policy and would now be allowing men to take young girls off for the weekend. Do you think for one minute that the predatory heterosexuals wouldn't come out of the woodwork?
The Boy Scouts figured this out long ago and formulated their policy accordingly. They understand that you don't put potentially sexually attractive people together in close confines. The Supreme Court upheld that policy.
The recent Catholic priest scandal should be a warning shot across the bow of any group associated with children yet BBBSA continues to plow along into these murky waters under the flag of tolerance. Putting young children at risk of sexual abuse is, in itself, intolerable and therein lies the irony in all of this.
BBBSA, in its efforts to bend over backwards in compliance with the ideals of non-discrimination, is sacrificing the very children in their care. This organization was formed with the express intent of helping children from troubled families find hope and happiness. Now they run the risk of irreparably damaging those very children they seek to help.
To make matters worse, there's no indication from the organization that parents of these children will be told when an openly homosexual volunteer has been assigned to their child. A check of their web site found no mention of the issue. At the very least, the parents should know and have the option to reject an applicant but that would violate someone's rights, now wouldn't it?
Tolerance is fine but the safety and well-being of the children trumps any other desires or goals the PC crowd may have. It's funny. The group that so readily tosses about the phrase ‘it's for the children' is now so willing to sacrifice them to the politically correct gods.