Yet this fall there is increasing evidence of a backlash against that backlash. Parents, business executives and conservative political groups are speaking out against those who are retaliating against the Scouts. We're going to be looking to remedy this assault through the electoral process. In Tempe, Ariz., the City Council reversed an attempt to keep city workers' donations from going to the Scouts through the United Way. The initial decision prompted a flurry of angry calls and e-mails, and the city's openly gay mayor, Neil Giuliano, is now targeted by a recall campaign.
Emotions are equally strong on the other side.
In Denver, a rabbi told his congregation he is protesting the ban on gays by returning scouting awards he earned as a youth. There's a lot of gray area, a lot of people in flux, trying to figure out what this means for their community and their children. Gregg Shields, spokesman for the Boy Scouts of America, noted that presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush have voiced support for the Scouts, and that federal officials ruled the Scouts could continue to hold jamborees on government land. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., has gone further, introducing what he calls the Scouts Honor Act. It seeks to protect the Scouts against punitive measures by any entity that receives federal funds.