From Feministe:
Projection, anyone?
A boy scout leader who opposed allowing gay men and atheists serve as troop leaders — and who even sued the city of Berkeley over it — has been arrested on felony sexual abuse charges. For sexually abusing boys in his troop.
But at least he kept the gays and the atheists out.
God, you know, I know that it’s an unfair stereotype that people who oppose gay rights only do so because they’re closeted, but it just seems like every week brings us a new data point.
—Myca
“God, you know, I know that it’s an unfair stereotype that people who oppose gay rights only do so because they’re closeted, but it just seems like every week brings us a new data point.”
Except in this case, he was a closeted pedophile, not a closeted gay man (as far as we know). We need to be careful to make the distinction — but I bet most of the media/public won’t.
What Vidya said. Odds are he had little interest in adults of his own gender (or of the other).
God, you know, I know that it’s an unfair stereotype that people who oppose gay rights only do so because they’re closeted, but it just seems like every week brings us a new data point.
To clarify, when I said that he was “projecting,” I didn’t mean that he was a closeted gay man projecting his sexuality on other people. I meant that he was a pervert, projecting his perversions onto other people who happen to make easy targets, with his contention that gays and atheists are “moral perverts” unfit to be scout leaders. As others have pointed out, there is a world of difference between gay men and pedophiles, and the two should not be conflated.
I’m fairly sure Myca meant to indicate this meaning of closeted — in the closet about perversion — just because I know Myca.
But the reading everyone has given the words is fair, and it’s a good thing to have reiterated in the thread.
Yeah, sorry, I knew what Myca meant. There have already been some trackbacks on the Feministe thread that have basically attributed the child molestation to his being gay. So, as you said, the point was to reiterate, not to make an example of Myca. Sorry Myca! Your comment was just a good intro :-)
Right! Right! You all were not unfair in your interpretation of my comments. Of course, I do not believe that being gay and being a pedophile are the same thing, but I should have made that distinction more clear.
—Myca
Yes, I didn’t mean that I thought you did; just that the clarification was important, for the sake of other readers.
I’m going to be very interested as the trial proceeds to see just how this occurred. If BSA policies (and common sense) are followed, there should be no opportunities for this to occur during a BSA activity. Did these in fact happen during a Troop activity? Did it happen at his home, or the kids’ homes, or at school where he taught? Were these kids also students of his at the school?
Never let your kids be alone with only one adult (as opposed to an activity where multiple adults will be present). Be suspicious if a youth leader or teacher seeks to socialize with your children at an activity that has nothing to do with the point of the group; e.g., a soccer coach taking a group of kids out to a movie. Be especially suspicious if the adult shows favoritism towards a sub-set of the group or individuals in the group, granting them special favors, giving them gifts that they didn’t also give others in the group, or asking only one or a few to go somewhere.
I wonder which if any of these behaviors were exhibited and ignored. And regrettably, it’s well worth asking whether his action in bringing the suit was based out of sincere conviction or out of a desire to mask his actions (presuming that the trial shows that he actually did what he stands accused of). Pedophilia and especially ephebophilia are a curse in any youth-serving organization. It’s a gross abuse even in an organization where the youth are of legal age, and regardless of the sex of the individuals involved.
Thanks for the details, Ron.