UPS stops Boy Scout funding over anti-gay policy

ATLANTA The philanthropic arm of shipping giant UPS said it will no longer give money to the Boy Scouts of America as long as the group discriminates against gays, the second major corporation to recently strip funding from the scouts.

The UPS Foundation made the change Thursday after an online petition protesting its annual grants to the Boy Scouts attracted more than 80,000 signatures. UPS, based in Atlanta, follows computer chip maker Intel in withdrawing corporate support for the Boy Scouts.

The UPS Foundation gave more than $85,000 to the Boy Scouts in 2011, according to its federal tax return.

Federal tax returns for 2011 for Intel, the world's largest chip maker, were not immediately available. Some media reported the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company as giving hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years.

UPS spokeswoman Kristen Petrella said groups applying for the foundation grants will have to adhere to the same standards UPS does by not discriminating against anyone based on race, religion, disability or sexual orientation.

"We promote an environment of diversity and inclusion," Petrella said Monday. "UPS is a company that does the right things for the right reasons."

The UPS Foundation distributed $45.3 million in grants last year. Petrella said she was not aware of any other current grant recipients who would be affected by the new policy.

Petrella said the company had been concerned about discrimination by the Boy Scouts before the petition drive.

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The Boy Scouts said this summer it was sticking with the divisive, long-standing policy of excluding openly gay youth and adults as members and leaders.

Deron Smith, the director of public relations for the Irving, Texas-based Boy Scouts of America, said the group was disappointed about the decision from UPS.

"These types of contributions go directly to serving young people in local councils and this decision will negatively impact youth," Smith said. "Through 110,000 units, scouting represents millions of youth and adult members in diverse communities across the nation, each with a variety of beliefs on this topic."

UPS and Intel changed course after Zach Wahls, an Eagle Scout and founder of the group Scouts for Equality, began online petitions this fall at Change.org calling for corporations to end their financial support of the Boy Scouts. That call has been echoed by such groups as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which has highlighted the case of an Ohio mother barred from volunteering with her son's Cub Scout pack because she is a lesbian.

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"Corporate America gets it better than most: policies that discriminate aren't simply wrong, they're bad for business and they're hurting the scouting community," Wahls said Monday. "You would think that after all the Boy Scouts have lost as a result of this policy, they would understand that."

The policy of excluding gays has also come under increased scrutiny within the last month, as thousands of confidential files released as part of a lawsuit show top Boy Scout leaders for decades carefully tracked thousands of scoutmasters and volunteers who sexually abused boys in their care but routinely failed to report those individuals to law enforcement.

[bunnyshephard]

The boy scouts have the right to be as inclusive or exclusive as they want to be, i don't see white people getting scholarships from the united negro college fund charity- and that's cause this is AMERICA we have the freedom to choose to belong or not belong, to include or exclude in clubs and foundations.... if you are upset gays cant run boyscout troops then maybe a gay scout group is your calling- found one; dont try to deny the right of the boy scouts of America to decide their own MORAL and LIFESTYLE codes of membership....mind you i got no issues with anyone being gay- but i do have issue with the 'movement' bashing straight people and bashing straight peoples right to not want their kids taught about gay marriage by a public school etc....that kind of stuff should be taught at home or in the church of pupil's parent's choice....the line between public and private is WAY smudged...I AM PRAYING FOR OUR COUNTRY...IN GOD WE TRUST...

[TheBookOfDavid]

Correct. The Boy Scouts of America may discriminate freely in their membership and employment practices. What they aren't entitled to is free money from corporate and private donors who know bigotry when they see it, and find it's more trouble than it's worth to support it. I also agree that there's too much overlap between private and public institutions; the Boy Scouts is an ideal example. They simply shouldn't be receiving taxpayer subsidies when the benefits of membership are deliberately withheld from otherwise qualified minorities seeking honest participation. It's bad for the nation and bad for Scouting.

[hypnotoad72]

UPS should take this as a loss and grow up. Don't punish of manipulate the general public; the not-so-free market is sufficiently unethical already in that regard.

And why should UPS's already overpriced rates go up as a result, especially when competition exists that already charges less (USPS)?

[TomShroud]

So what were your favorite two Ayn Rand books?

[teebonicus]

F*ck UPS and the horse it rode in on.

[LCWC]

I am proud of the BSA Administration and Organization. As you see, even money won't buy honor. It'll be a WHOLE LOT colder before the policy changes, if you know what I mean.

Diversity becomes criminal when it includes evil.

[virusfist]

So gays are evil? Wow you're an ignorant fool

[mcgerm1]

I urge Christian UPS employees to sign a petition saying such corporate policies against Christian organizations and Christian values is creating hostile workplace. Christain employees are being told through company policy that their lifestyle is second class and that they should keep their religion in the closet.

[hypnotoad72]

What are Christian values, which - based on plenty of Christians I know o,f include lying, being hurtful toward your fellow citizens, being greedy, and lots of other things...

[Jessica271985]

What christian values are that? Making LGBTs substandard to the rest of the world? Shaming them and kicking them out of your "straights only" club?

Funnily enough, I didn't see the phrase "unless you're one of those icky gays" tagged onto Jesus' command to love one another anywhere in the bible, and I've been reading it continuously for over 15 years.

Hatred and bigotry in the name of religion is STILL hatred and bigotry, but with a horrible attempt at excusing it.

[MickProPer]

What's pathetic about this - almost funny - is that in my entire life of employment, UPS is the ONLY employer from whom I ever actually experienced discrimination! Well, that's fine - I haven't used UPS for anything in the past 40 years, I'm not gonna be starting now. Actually, the only difference I can see in my daily life, is I'm no longer going to quietly just sit behind - or go around - any of those "big brown" trucks that are illegally parked in traffic lanes. No, from now on they get the "full monty" treatment - meaning I lay on my horn until they move, and if there's a cop or parking enforcement officer around, I'm going to insist that they give out a ticket for lane obstruction and illegal parking!

[USidiocracy]

Jesus, help us. I've never seen so much ignorance about the difference between gender identification and sexual deviance. Thanks to the idiot who wrote the article, he has let conservatives muddy the water and confuse people again. Pedophilia has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with power and control - like rape...and of course conservatives misunderstood THAT as well, so this should be no surprise. Only by active participation in the community will these stupid stereotypes be broken down - so for those who say, "take it slow", I say - "No"...push forward. The people writing many of these are slowly being outnumbered and generationally marginalized. Women, African-Americans, Native-Americans and other ethnic groups did not and will not get equal treatment without active participation in civil society, and only through personal experience and education will idiocy be overcome.

[marynmatt]

"Gender identification" is you are a man if you are born with a ***** and a woman if you are born with a vagina. You are identified sexually with the sexual parts you are born with. You are sexual deviant if you use those parts in a way that nature did not intend i.e. sodomy. It's easy, Buddy. Don't made a federal case out of it.

[hypnotoad72]

Observist -

Ironic. Nature created homosexuality, since it's been observed some animal species have shown homosexual tendencies as well, so where's your degree that lets you get off in saying what Nature dictates? Sounds like you're the dictator... one that never gets out much. Continue your research; I bet you'll be up to speed with others in no time!

[robobbob]

"gets it better than most"
you mean blackmail and extortion from leftist groups who believe only their beliefs should be allowed. its only a matter of time before they make any dissent to their policies illegal.

[hypnotoad72]

Ironic...

[hangin-in-there]

"The philanthropic arm of shipping giant UPS said it will no longer give money to the Boy Scouts of America as long as the group discriminates against gays"

THE GENERAL, STRAIGHT POPULATION OF THE US WILL NO LONGER USE UPS TO DELIVER PRODUCTS AS LONG AS THE BUSINESS CONTINUES TO SUPPORT HOMOSEXUAL SODOMISTS.

[SJames6621]

fat chance you will make an impact. Which hate group sent you here anyway.?

[hypnotoad72]

There's plenty of hate to go around.

The question, how do you stop EVERYBODY that does it?

What sort of regulations are needed? ;-)

[ChrisVogel]

US Boy Scouts expel and deny admission not only boys considered to be gay, but also those said to have gay or lesbian parents.

[virusfist]

I'll have you know I am an Eagle Scout and I fully support this decision by UPS. Who do the BSA think they are trying to dictate a person's happiness based on sexual orientation or any other reason? Who are they to say that because of an uncontrollable factor (many studies support this so please try not to be ignorant)a person is not allowed the same opportunities in life as their peers? I mean, this is exactly like the segregation of African Americans, only 60 years later. Do you know how racial segregation ended? It ended because one generation of people constantly set in their ways were replaced by another, more understanding generation that set out to change things. I suspect this is the same thing that will happen here. The next generation will have less of a problem with gays and one day we'll be looked on as the idiots. I don't know why people have such a problem with it. Is it because some people live their ENTIRE lives by a book written thousands of years ago when people still thought the entire universe revolved around the Earth? Or is it because people are simple afraid that some gay person is going to come up and molest them? Get over yourselves. Change happens whether you want it to or not, best come to accept it.