Calling gays 'unclean' sure seems homophobic

Publication Date: 10/30/2007

I'd like to make a quick response to Jerry Remo's contention that I labeled the Boy Scouts as a homophobic group unfairly ("Local non-profits aren't operated by homophobics," Oct. 11). Frank Avila, director of Diversity Programs for the Scouts in 2001, based the ban on gay scouts on the following reasoning: "One of the parts of the Boy Scout oath and law is that a scout must be clean." I think even Mr. Remo would agree that Mr. Avila did not mean that gays are less physically clean. Mr. Avaria ﾐ or the rest of the scout leadership ﾐ reject and expel all gays without exception. All gays are unclean to them.

They take a hugely diverse community of people and paint them all "dirty" with no exceptions or right to appeal. This is prejudice and bigotry, Mr. Remo. And when the local United Way and Purdue's administration turn a blind eye to it, they endorse a prejudice and bigotry that is unbecoming of such institutions.

The next question is why? Why do such a petty, mean-spirited thing to so many people? What is it about a 12-year-old gay-identified boy that threatens Mr. Avila and the Scout leadership? I have to conclude that Mr. Avila's and the Scout leadership's unjustified labeling of gay kids as "unclean" is part of an unreasonable fear. A phobia is simply an unreasonable fear. Hence, I used the term homophobic in my letter to describe them.

Mike Sloothaak

Purdue staff