Boy Scout supporters
rally today

Supporters of the Boy Scouts and other pro-family groups are set to meet in front of the United Way headquarters building in Sacramento, Calif., to protest the charity's decision to allow many of its chapters to end long-time financial support of the youth group.

The rally, which begins at 4 p.m. Pacific today, is aimed at putting pressure on a local United Way chapter and a "short list of [other] UW affiliates … that have taken sides with the militant 'gay' movement against the Boy Scouts," said a statement released Monday by the American Family Association of California.

The California AFA said its effort is designed to counter moves by homosexual-rights groups that have encouraged local United Way chapters to end long-standing funding of Boy Scouts chapters because the Scouts do not permit homosexual members or scoutmasters in their ranks.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last summer that, as a private organization, the Boy Scouts had a constitutional right to include or exclude members of their own choosing and could set membership standards as the group saw fit.

Homosexual groups and advocates took offense to the high court ruling and have been waging a public relations and funding battle against the Boy Scouts of America ever since.

That activism has led to a number of United Way chapters, corporations, city councils and other private charities ending their financial support for the Scouts.

The Sacramento United Way chapter voted recently to adopt a "Policy of Inclusion," which, officials said, precludes it from donating money to the local Scout troops as long as they have a rule prohibiting homosexual members and leaders.

But the California AFA chapter says the local United Way policy is just an excuse to exact revenge on the Scouts for a policy decision the charity's local board members ideologically oppose.

"Using a policy of inclusion to justify its action against the Boy Scouts is a very clever ploy," said Scott Lively, an attorney with the California AFA. "The United Way now pretends to be taking the high road against discrimination while it is actually discriminating against the Scouts."

"The bottom line is this: the United Way has chosen homosexuality over family values, and we're going to make sure everybody knows it," Lively said, according to the AFA's statement.

National United Way officials have told WND in previous interviews that local chapters have local boards, who make their own decisions regarding funding of civic groups.

The California AFA chapter, the statement said, approached the Sacramento United Way chapter April 9, urging officials to rescind their policy of de-funding local Scout troops.

"Through its attorneys, the [Sacramento] United Way responded that it 'stands firmly' behind its decision," the AFA statement said.

The statement noted that today's rally "is the first step in an extensive grass-roots campaign to cause the United Way to reverse its position."

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