The Merck Foundation Suspends Funding To The Boy Scouts Of America
Support is growing in favor for the GLBT community over the bigoted stance on the Boy Scouts of America’s anti-gay policies. The Merck Foundation has released a statement stating that they will no long fund companies who’s core values no longer reflect their own. Here is more on the story as reported by glaad.org
The Merck Foundation became the latest corporate leader to speak out against the Boy Scouts of America’s ban on gay scouts and scout leaders. The Merck Foundation announced that it will suspend all funding to the BSA and will consider funding the organization again when the BSA ends the discriminatory ban. The Merck Foundation joins other BSA sponsors including the Intel Foundation and the UPS Foundation in choosing to provide financial support to only those organizations that align with the company’s non-discrimination policy.
You can read a letter from Brian Grill of the Merck Foundation on Scouts for Equality’s site.
Last week founder of Scouts for Equality Zach Wahls launched a Change.org petition calling on Verizon to suspend funding to the BSA. Despite more than 60,000 signatures, Verizon has yet to respond. On its website, the Verizon Foundation states that only those organizations which “serve the community without discrimination,” including on the basis of sexual orientation, are eligible to receive funding. Yet, Verizon gave more than $315,000 in grants to the Boy Scouts in 2010, despite the BSA’s anti-gay policies.
GLAAD President Herndon Graddick said:
“These companies are helping to bring change to the Boy Scouts of America by speaking out against the discriminatory policy and in support of the young people who are harmed by it. The Boy Scouts of America should take the health of their organization into account and focus making scouting open to all, rather than working to keep an outdated and unpopular ban in place.”
GLAAD and Scouts for Equality have also called attention to the Americans who are continuing to be harmed by the anti-gay policy, including Kentucky dad Greg Bourke who was ousted from his son’s troop this summer and launched a Change.org campaign to be reinstated as well as 18 year-old Ryan Andresen whose mother started a Change.org petition which is at over 425,000 signatures after he was denied an the rank of Eagle Scout because he is gay. Last week, Ryan was honored by the California Assembly.
Earlier this year President Obama, who serves as honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America, publicly opposed the Boy Scouts of America’s anti-gay policy.
This kind of momentum is so inspiring for our community. It’s up to all of us to keep it going and ensure that equal rights are given to every human being. Please support companies that share your values and rights.
For the full story please visit glad.org.
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