Boy Scouts of America creates scenarios, surveys members and parents whether to keep gay ban

The Boy Scouts of America has issued a survey to members and parents asking whether to change it's no-gay policy:

Following are some possible scenarios that could happen if the Boy Scouts keeps or changes its policy. Please tell us the degree to which you believe the actions taken in each scenario are acceptable or unacceptable.

• Bob is 15 years old, and the only openly gay Scout in a Boy Scout troop. Is it acceptable or unacceptable for the troop leader to allow Bob to tent with a heterosexual boy on an overnight camping trip?
• Johnny, a first grade boy, has joined Tiger Scouts with his friends. Johnny's friends and their parents unanimously nominate Johnny's mom, who is known by them to be lesbian, to be the den leader. Johnny's pack is chartered to a church where the doctrine of that faith does not teach that homosexuality is wrong. Is it acceptable or unacceptable for his mother to serve as a den leader for his Cub Scout den?
• Tom started in the program as a Tiger Cub, and finished every requirement for the Eagle Scout Award at 16 years of age. At his board of review Tom reveals that he is gay. Is it acceptable or unacceptable for the review board to deny his Eagle Scout award based on that admission?

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Civil unions for gay and lesbian couples clear Colorado Legislature, head to governor

BY IVAN MORENO, ASSOCIATED PRESS

DENVER -- Civil unions for gay couples was a rallying cry for Democrats who took control of the Colorado House in last year's elections and vowed an early vote on the proposal. They kept their promise Tuesday, passing a bill that now goes to the governor's desk, where it's expected to be signed.

The vote punctuates a dramatic political shift in Colorado, where voters approved a gay-marriage ban seven years ago - meaning civil unions are the only option for gay couples in the state for now. That could change with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage bans in the coming months.

"We really do stand on the edge of history," said Democratic Rep. Pete Lee. "For some in this chamber, this is the reason why we are here."

Applause erupted as the bill won final passage Tuesday on a 39-26 House vote, with two Republicans joining all Democrats to approve it.

Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper has said he plans to sign civil unions into law. It's not clear yet when that will happen, but the law will take effect May 1.

Once the measure is signed, Colorado will join a dozen other states that have civil unions or similar laws. Six states allow gay marriage.

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Florida Family Policy Council: Gays, lesbians use 'dangerous' domestic partnerships as 'legal weapons'

The conservative Florida Family Policy Council on Tuesday released "An Open Letter to the Florida Senate Children & Families Committee Regarding Domestic Partnerships," addressed to the Senate Children & Families Committee and its chairwoman, Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood:

Dear Madam Chairman and members of the committee:
 
We sympathize with and regret the fact that some Floridians have experienced great personal distress and legal difficulties as a result of not having proper estate planning.  Failing to obtain a valid Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA) can produce very unfortunate circumstances to persons of all types. These legal documents are regularly available and drafted by thousands of law firms and lawyers across Florida.  The cost of a typical DPOA is modest and in some cases is not much more than the fee to apply for a domestic partnership.

In summary, domestic partnerships are unnecessary, bad public policy, and are dangerous for a number of reasons that may not be immediately obvious.

1)     They mislead the couples entering them into believing they have proper estate planning.

When it comes time to apply for Social Security, Medicaid or Medicare for an incapacitated partner, a couple will quickly learn that a domestic partnership is wholly inadequate and does not contain the necessary authority to make application on behalf of another individual.  Personal and real property and other intangible assets will not automatically pass to the holder of most domestic partnerships.

2)     Domestic Partnerships are not merely unnecessary, but are affirmatively dangerous because they are used as legal weapons by gay rights activists to advance same-sex marriages.

Historically activist courts, at the urging of gay rights activists, have used domestic partnerships as a legal precedent for overriding traditional marriage laws and legalizing same-sex marriages.  In state after state where domestic partnerships were created, they were later used by courts or state legislative bodies to strike down valid marriage laws and legalize same-sex marriages.  The creation of a domestic partnership is an affirmative legal threat to state Defense of Marriage Acts (DOMA) and to state constitutional amendment provisions which define marriage and prohibit same-sex marriages.

The below exhibit The History of Domestic Partnerships Leading to Legalization of Same Sex Marriages documents and catalogues the consistent pattern and strategy of gay rights activists in states across America to use domestic partnerships as a legal weapon to force the adoption of same-sex marriages.

Homosexual marriages deny children the right to either a mother or a father and are therefore not in the best interest of children. Same-sex marriage laws also force all other statutes in a state to become gender-neutral and impacts children’s educational curriculum and textbooks where homosexuality is promoted as natural and morally acceptable alternative to heterosexual marriage.  Finally, in a plethora of cases, gay marriage laws have been proven to become a threat to the individual religious liberties and free speech rights of those who have a traditional view of marriage.
 
For this and many other reasons, we strongly urge this committee to vote No to the creation of any domestic partnership or civil union scheme in Florida.
 
Sincerely,
John Stemberger
Florida Family Policy Council