This July, the Boy Scouts of America reaffirmed their policy excluding homosexuals and have felt severe pressure from gay rights organizations. It has also affected the companies that donate money to the BSA and this week their largest corporate funder, Intel, decided to sever ties with the youth group. According to the Huffington Post, the technological giant reportedly gave more than $700,000 to local troops and councils. Intel gave the following statement to ThinkProgress.org, addressing that they would no longer give to organizations that did not adhere to their nondiscrimination principles. Intel’s Chief Diversity Officer wrote the following:
“Earlier this year we revisited our policies associated with the program, and applied new rigor that requires any organization to confirm that it adheres to Intel’s anti-discrimination policy in order to receive funding.”
Those BSA troops and councils that do allow gays in will be allowed for Intel’s funding. Equality for Scouts founder Zach Wahls, fresh off his Democratic National Convention speech, created a Change.org petition earlier in the week, which called on Intel to stop funding of the Scouts until the ban on gay members and leaders ends. It was signed by more than 30,000 Americans. Wahls expressed his joy in a press release:
“Intel made the right decision here, in order to live up to their corporate values of diversity, equality and individual liberty. Companies that support the LGBT community simply can’t be in the business of funding organizations that discriminate. Frankly, by sending this message, Intel is upholding the true spirit of Scouting better than the BSA is today.”
