Fierstein Fires Off Fiery Boy Scouts Essay

Multi-Tony Award-winning playwright and performer Harvey Fierstein has published a fiery screed denouncing the Boy Scouts Of America and the media handling of the recent debate over allowing out gay members and leaders to join the well-known youth organization, among other pressing GLBT issues.

Fierstein pointedly begins the eloquent and passionate essay, published at the Huffington Post, explicating and explaining his views with a provocative and all-too-apt question, "Is there a merit badge for disrespecting your parents?"

Recently, the Boy Scouts of America have come under fire from GLBT rights groups for their controversial decision to allow under-18 gay members to join but not allow gay troop leaders. "The official policy states that homosexuals cannot be trusted around children," writes Fierstein.

As a direct result of this decision, in one instance, Fierstein goes so far as to compare the Boy Scouts to the Hitler Youth, writing, "Furthermore thousands of boys with GLBT mothers or fathers, must accept the demonization of their parents if they want to join in the fun. Is this the Boy Scouts of America or a Hitler Youth Camp??? Do you get a S'more for turning in your dad?"

Enacting a call to action, Fierstein comments upon the recent gay-bashing incidents in New York City and cites them - along with this Boy Scouts situation - as endemic to society today, detailing the necessity for these occurrences to be addressed immediately and appropriately or else it all could get much worse very quickly.

Fierstein compares recent court victories and their juxtaposition with real-life homophobia, positing, "While we were busy slapping ourselves on the back for each pro-gay court decision and election victory, the enemies of freedom stood, steadfast, their three-pronged pitchfork of bigotry clenched and ready to draw blood."

Additionally, "Intolerance is not a matter of opinion. It is a call to violence," Fierstein expertly asserts.

Fierstein also references Cyndi Lauper - a vocal proponent of many GLBT causes - and their new musical KINKY BOOTS and its place in the ongoing political conversation near the conclusion of the essay, writing, "It's sadly ironic that when Cyndi and I opened KINKY BOOTS, our gentle fable with the moral, 'You change the world when you change your mind,' some criticized our message of acceptance as passé, no longer necessary, a given fact. Oh, how I wish those folks were right."

Check out the complete essay by Harvey Fierstein here.

So, what do you think of Fierstein's fiery denouncement of the homophobia exhibited by the Boy Scouts of America?