Boy Scouts Want Us To Be Prepared. For Intolerance?!

When asked about his position as an executive Board member of Boy Scouts of America, an organization that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation, Mitt Romney said in 1994: “I have let my views be known…I feel that all people should be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts, regardless of their sexual orientation."

Nevertheless, earlier this month, after a two-year confidential internal review, the Boy Scouts of America reaffirmed its decision to continue to ban gay boys from being scouts, and gay and lesbian men and women from serving as troop leaders. The Boy Scouts of America say that the reason they are reaffirming the policy is that parents want to be able to address the issues of same-sex orientation within the home, and because banning gays reflects the beliefs and perspectives of members of the Boy Scouts of America. The Boy Scouts of America believe that by banning gay youth from being scouts, and gay adults from becoming leaders, the organization is better able to focus on its mission to build character, and create responsible, well-rounded individuals prepared to be productive within society.

The Boy Scouts of America’s mission is admirable. However, their reasoning is flawed. The only thing that the ban is teaching these young men is that prejudice, bigotry and discrimination are acceptable. Their organization claims to want to aid and prepare youth to become productive, responsible and conscientious members of society. The Boy Scouts of America’s mission is to aid youth, but their ban leaves out an entire segment of the population who will eventually grow up and enter society as adults. Perpetuating hate will not build the society that the Boy Scouts seek to create.

In the past, the Boy Scouts have been just as bigoted towards other groups of people, originally banning African Americans from becoming scouts. History has proven that discrimination based on race was wrong and the Boy Scouts now fully accept scouts of all races. Hopefully the Boy Scouts of America will soon recognize that discrimination based on sexual orientation is also wrong. The Boy Scouts of America need to change their policy of discrimination in order to fully embrace the mission they claim to support. Perpetuating fear and hate does not aid in the development of young men with strong values. Discrimination causes instability within society. The Boy Scouts of America need to end their discriminatory policy and embrace boys and scout leaders from all walks of life.

While we consider discrimination against individuals based on their sexual orientation to be a very serious matter, you should also watch this clip called Gaywatch – Holdouts Edition, from the brilliant minds at The Daily Show.

Julianne Gern
ACLU of Wyoming Legal Extern

Mandatory Juvenile Life Without Parole Sent Up the River

“When a young person is sent ‘up the river,’ we need to remember that all rivers can change course.” -- Former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson (R-WY)

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court held that mandatory life without parole sentencing for juveniles violates the cruel and unusual punishment provision of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. With this new decision, the Supreme Court extended its 2010 ruling in Graham v. Florida, in which the Court concluded that that juvenile life without parole for non-homicide cases is unconstitutional. This decision does not mean that a minor can never be sentenced to life without parole, it simply means that the sentencing judge must have the opportunity to consider age and circumstance when handing down a punishment.

We believe that the high court made the right decision this week. In finding that juveniles cannot be subject to mandatory life without parole sentences, the Court recognized that juveniles are in a special category, and should therefore be treated differently under the law. Kids often make rash decisions without thinking about the consequences. Recent studies have shown that children’s brains function quite differently from adults. Children’s brains continue to develop throughout their adolescent years. This continued development means that kids make impulsive decisions and usually, at the time they make a decision, they do not fully appreciate or recognize the possible consequences.

This scientific research also demonstrates that children have a greater capacity for rehabilitation. By allowing courts to take into account children’s age and circumstances, children are more likely to have an opportunity to be rehabilitated. To be sure, some children have the capacity to commit horrific acts. But mandatory juvenile life without parole sentences has required judges to sentence children to die in prison without any consideration for where a child comes from or what a child has been through. This mandatory sentencing structure has forced us, as a society, to give up on kids rather than provide them an opportunity to reform. This week’s decision helps to restore some rationality to the treatment of juveniles in our criminal justice system.

The Supreme Court’s ruling on mandatory juvenile without parole sentences echoes what the ACLU of Wyoming has been saying all along: kids are different than adults and deserve to be treated as kids, not adults, in our justice system. Learn about our efforts to fight against juvenile life without parole sentencing in Wyoming.

Julianne Gern
ACLU Legal Extern

Equal Rights in the Equality State

The ACLU of Wyoming is teaming up with Wyoming Equality to fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights and marriage equality in Wyoming because we believe in a society that values fairness and equality.

Current trends show a rising tide of public support for marriage equality in Wyoming and across the country. Recent columns from both the Casper Star Tribune and the Wyoming Tribune Eagle describe very clearly why this is such a salient issue for Wyoming, and why the time for marriage equality is now. Both President Obama and the NAACP have recently announced their support for the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. The message of stronger families and greater fairness is resonating. But there’s still a long way to go!

The concept of equal protection under the law, enshrined in the Constitution, requires that fundamental rights like the right to marry be made available equally to same-sex and opposite-sex couples. While religious faiths are free to distinguish between same-sex and opposite-sex marriages, according to their beliefs, the government may not.

Marriage is about loving, committed couples who want to make a lifelong promise to take care of and be responsible for each other, in good times and bad. It is a basic freedom that should not be denied to anyone.

The true measure of us as a state is how we treat each other. Every individual should have the opportunity to make a lifetime commitment legally to the person he or she loves. Want to help us fight for LGBT rights and marriage equality in Wyoming? Please contact us to find out ways to get involved.