DRAFT: DE&I merit badge requirements

[CynicalScouter]

10 minutes ago, InquisitiveScouter said:

Thanks, @CynicalScouter!  This crucial piece hadn't even crossed my thoughts...

Wonder if the MB writers and those who will make the final decision to promulgate will consider the wide body of state law??  Or will they push something and have it blow up in their faces?? 

It depends.

First, these laws apply to public schools. Private organizations (like BSA, see Dale case) can require or not require sex ed.

Second, this all depends on whether you consider even MENTION of sexual orientation or gender identity as "sex education". Someone people will and will then insist that no MBC talk to their kids about sex education.

[Navybone]

2 hours ago, CynicalScouter said:

I also suspect that the MBCs involved will simply skip those items outright and go with the rest. Although Scenario  2 requires it be discussed

 

Kind of defeats the purpose.   

[ParkMan]

@CynicalScouter & @InquisitiveScouter - I think you two need ratchet down the angst a few orders of magnitude here.  When I read these requirements, this sounds to like two pretty commonly accepted principles:

• Don't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes
• Love Thy Neighbour as Thyself

If the adults can keep their hands off this merit badge and let a youth do as the merit badge says, it's allows the youth to go through a thought exercise in how they relate to others.  Are they welcoming of others, how do they treat others, do they unknowingly act in a discriminatory way, are they doing what they can to treat their fellow citizens with respect? 

It doesn't matter if your white, brown, black, or purple.  It doesn't matter who you love or are attracted to.  It doesn't matter what you think of your own gender and sexuality.  It's about how you treat each other.  It's about how you react to situations where discrimination happens around you.  It's about how you react when someone you know tells you they feel discriminated against.

I have every bit of confidence that youth, when put these sorts of questions - can reason them out in a way that is pretty consistent with the Scout oath and law.  

This all starts to get messy when the adults show up and start pushing agendas.  This is why the adults should leave this in the real of how youth relate to each other just as the requirements describe.

[Navybone]

16 minutes ago, CynicalScouter said:

It depends.

First, these laws apply to public schools. Private organizations (like BSA, see Dale case) can require or not require sex ed.

Second, this all depends on whether you consider even MENTION of sexual orientation or gender identity as "sex education". Someone people will and will then insist that no MBC talk to their kids about sex education.

There is talking about someone’s sexual orientation or their gender identity sex Ed.  It’s not, this is about respecting their choices.  If the scout wants to learn more, then they need to talk to their parent.  

[InquisitiveScouter]

3 minutes ago, ParkMan said:

@CynicalScouter & @InquisitiveScouter - I think you two need ratchet down the angst a few orders of magnitude here.  When I read these requirements, this sounds to like two pretty commonly accepted principles:

• Don't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes
• Love Thy Neighbour as Thyself

If the adults can keep their hands off this merit badge and let a youth do as the merit badge says, it's allows the youth to go through a thought exercise in how they relate to others.  Are they welcoming of others, how do they treat others, do they unknowingly act in a discriminatory way, are they doing what they can to treat their fellow citizens with respect? 

It doesn't matter if your white, brown, black, or purple.  It doesn't matter who you love or are attracted to.  It doesn't matter what you think of your own gender and sexuality.  It's about how you treat each other.  It's about how you react to situations where discrimination happens around you.  It's about how you react when someone you know tells you they feel discriminated against.

I have every bit of confidence that youth, when put these sorts of questions - can reason them out in a way that is pretty consistent with the Scout oath and law.  

This all starts to get messy when the adults show up and start pushing agendas.  This is why the adults should leave this in the real of how youth relate to each other just as the requirements describe.

@ParkMan

How about this for the new DE&I MB requirements?

1.  Don't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes.

2.  Love your neighbor as you love yourself.

The End

I could go for that...but I think those are already encapsulated in the Scout Oath and Law.

And the only angst I sense here is yours.

Physician, heal thyself!

 

 

[CynicalScouter]

1 minute ago, ParkMan said:

I think you two need ratchet down the angst a few orders of magnitude here.  When I read these requirements, this sounds to like two pretty commonly accepted principles:

Careful please. Don't mistake my views vs. those of others.

As I said, I believe as a MBC I could work with this MB. I can also very much see/know/observe in the Reddit and Facebook groups and even here that there's a HUGE pushback growing and an anticipation that people are NOT going to just embrace the change and move forward (as for example they did when Cooking became Eagle required).

3 minutes ago, ParkMan said:

If the adults can keep their hands off this merit badge

Given that it is adults who are going be parents, SMs, and MBCs, and that it is adults who are creating this merit badge, asking adults to keep their hands off this merit badge is literally impossible.

 

4 minutes ago, ParkMan said:

This all starts to get messy when the adults show up and start pushing agendas. 

This STARTED with an agenda. The entire REASON we have this as a merit badge in general and an Eagle required in particular started with an agenda. Now you can argue if this was a good agenda or a bad one. You can argue what the "real" agenda is (or isn't). But this did not just spring forth from the ground ex nihilo. Every part of this has been agenda laden.

To now say let's not have adults and their agendas is again, impossible.

 

[CynicalScouter]

6 minutes ago, Navybone said:

There is talking about someone’s sexual orientation or their gender identity sex Ed.  It’s not, this is about respecting their choices.  If the scout wants to learn more, then they need to talk to their parent.  

I agree. But as noted elsewhere in this thread, there are at least two units (and I know my own committee chair, so there's a third possibly) who are looking at this as sex ed and therefore will be requesting a) waivers or b) that these portions get parental approval/instruction.

[Navybone]

4 minutes ago, CynicalScouter said:

I agree. But as noted elsewhere in this thread, there are at least two units (and I know my own committee chair, so there's a third possibly) who are looking at this as sex ed and therefore will be requesting a) waivers or b) that these portions get parental approval/instruction.

When Adults try to use this to to push one agenda or create obstacles to the MB being implemented, I can not help but wonder why. What do they have against the basic premise or Diversity and inclusion?  Not the liberal or conservative interpretation of the terms, but the idea of treating people fairly, with respect, with equality.  Maybe they also need to earn the MB. 

[ParkMan]

3 minutes ago, CynicalScouter said:

Careful please. Don't mistake my views vs. those of others.

As I said, I believe as a MBC I could work with this MB. I can also very much see/know/observe in the Reddit and Facebook groups and even here that there's a HUGE pushback growing and an anticipation that people are NOT going to just embrace the change and move forward (as for example they did when Cooking became Eagle required).

Given that it is adults who are going be parents, SMs, and MBCs, and that it is adults who are creating this merit badge, asking adults to keep their hands off this merit badge is literally impossible.

 

This STARTED with an agenda. The entire REASON we have this as a merit badge in general and an Eagle required in particular started with an agenda. Now you can argue if this was a good agenda or a bad one. You can argue what the "real" agenda is (or isn't). But this did not just spring forth from the ground ex nihilo. Every part of this has been agenda laden.

To now say let's not have adults and their agendas is again, impossible.

 

I choose to look at things like this and ask "what's the best way for youth to take advantage of this?"  Given how polarized our country is today, I think a merit badge focused on getting kids to think about how they relate to others isn't such an awful idea.  

It's fine for us to agree to disagree.   I do think folks get where I'm coming from here.  I don't see that I have anything else constructive to add.

[CynicalScouter]

3 minutes ago, Navybone said:

When Adults try to use this to to push one agenda or create obstacles to the MB being implemented, I can not help but wonder why.

Because they view issues related to sexual morals as being entirely in the discretion of the parents? And that even MENTIONING the words "sexual orientation" or "gender identity" crosses that line.

[Navybone]

1 hour ago, CynicalScouter said:

Because they view issues related to sexual morals as being entirely in the discretion of the parents? And that even MENTIONING the words "sexual orientation" or "gender identity" crosses that line.

But that is exactly why this is an important opportunity.  What should a scout do if he/she meets someone who is gay (and they will)? Ignore them, pretend they do not exist?   Pick on them, bully them?  Or maybe accept them as a person with a different view.  This is not about changing anyone’s mind, it’s accepting people for being different than them.  

[CynicalScouter]

51 minutes ago, Navybone said:

But that is exactly why this is an important opportunity.

Yes. And I am also saying that you are going to get SM and parent push back on the idea that this is a merit badge that teaches sex ed. I'm not saying it is right. I am saying WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN THE PUSH BACK.

 

[Jameson76]

4 hours ago, ParkMan said:

I would encourage us to not put this merit badge in terms of politics.  Let's focus on the goals and the content and use it to broaden the horizons of kids in the program.

I am not the one using this term (see below) in requirement #1 - Intersectionality.  You speak of no politics, yet it is in the definition of the term

Intersectionality is a theoretical framework for understanding how aspects of a person's social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination and privilege. Examples of these aspects are gender, caste, sex, race, class, sexuality, religion, disability, physical appearance, and height.

What exactly do you think the goals of this merit badge are?  Are they to "broaden horizons" or are they to prove to many the BSA is now WOKE and on board with SJW?  Much like the National BSA accepting Black Lives Matter (note they capitalized this) and it's stated desire to do away with the nuclear family and embrace Marxist ideals.

Diversity and Inclusion are noble and worthy goals, but who is setting those goals and do all agree on what those goals may in fact be?  Note many of us did not wade into this discussion, but National led the way.

Now we are here and yes, politics, however one may define that, is a factor and cannot be denied to have an influence.

[Jameson76]

4 hours ago, ParkMan said:

Yes - because the minute a Scoutmaster announces the merit badge as:

Then it prejudices the content. 

I am fine discussing that this is a topic that involves some politics, but let's leave our own personal politics out of this.  We do not need a Scoutmaster in that 10-30% who doesn't believe that discrimination exists injecting their own personal beliefs.  Let's make this about listening to others.  Let the Scouts recognize that whether they think discrimination exists of only part of the conversation.  Equally important is whether people perceive that they are being discriminated against.  Let the kids get the maximum benefit from the learning experience without adding in our own personal beliefs on the topic.

There is no way to leave personal politics out of the discussion.  Each of us brings our own experiences, political beliefs, personal beliefs into everything we do and express.  To deny that is naive, we can try, but it is there.

Also to deny the WHY of this merit badge is akin to putting one's head in the sand.  It is being put forth as window dressing and to show compliance to an agenda.  Now, can we as a nations do better, absolutely.  Are we as a nation as bad as many have made it out to be, absolutely not.

 

[ParkMan]

@Jameson76 Thanks for the thoughts.

Perhaps I live in a Pollyanna world, but I just think this merit badge would work better if we just let the Scouts think through these questions without the implicit or explicit sharing of personal politics of the adult leaders.  

Kids of today, especially those in their mid teens are very aware of current events.  With the explosion of social media, kids today are living these issues in their daily lives. 

I have every confidence that if we adults step back and let these kids discuss these issues without adults interjecting our politics they'll do a great job.  They may or may not arrive at the same conclusions I have personally and that's OK.  But, I have no doubt that they will do an outstanding job discussing them without me interjecting my own beliefs.   To me it's sort of like "youth led" in Scouting.  We try to let the youth have their own space to make their own leadership decisions.  I just think we ought to do the same here.