-California Bill to Force Scouts and Other Non-Profits to Accept Homosexuality
by Dr. D ~ February 22nd, 2013
A new bill introduced in the California legislature would force the Boy Scouts and other non-profit youth groups and maybe even private religious schools to accept the LGBT lifestyle or lose their tax exemption status in the state.
From the Pacific Justice Institute:
Sacramento, CA—A new bill introduced this week in the California Senate would take some of the most aggressive action to date to force youth organizations to embrace homosexuality and “gender identity.”
SB 323, sponsored by Equality California and introduced by Sen. Ricardo Lara (D – Long Beach) threatens to revoke tax exempt status for a wide range of “youth groups” unless they agree to abandon any criteria related to gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and other categories.
The bill was designed to pressure the Boy Scouts to accept homosexuality, but its sweep goes much further. The bill specifically targets groups ranging from the Scouts to Special Olympics, Little League, Pop Warner, 4-H, Future Farmers of America, as well as youth sports in general. It also references private schools and “youth groups.”
Here’s a Christian Post article which presents the supporters side of this issue: “Calif. Boy Scouts’ Tax-Exempt Status Threatened by New Bill, Petition”
Response: This is a real diabolical threat against the Boy Scouts and all non-profit youth groups in California including religious groups and private schools.
Here’s Brad Dacus (PJI president) who will be leading the legal opposition to the bill:
“From the plain text of this bill, it is clear to us that SB 323 is one of the most outrageous bills we have seen in California—and that’s saying a lot. We have been warning for years that the gay lobby would eventually use tax exemptions to force non-profits to capitulate to their demands, but it’s still shocking to see it actually in print and on its way to becoming law.”
The good news is that it will take a 2/3 majority to pass this thing. The bad news is that there is a substantial 2/3 majority of liberal Democrat members in both houses of the legislature in California. It will take a concerted effort to actually defeat this bill.
For those of you in other states, this is just the beginning and you can expect similar legislation to follow in your area if it is successful here. *Top
February 23rd, 2013 at 7:49 am
This bill is worse than you indicated, Dr. D. It includes within its scope “Any youth group sponsored by or affiliated with a qualified educational institution, including, but not limited to, any student activity club, athletic group, or musical group.” The term “qualified educational institution” is defined to mean “Any nonprofit private educational institution providing education for kindergarten, grades 1 to 12, inclusive, and college undergraduate programs” It also explicitly includes the YMCA and YWCA within its scope (along with a laundry list of other organizations).
First, we have seen around the country a jihad against college Christian religious organizations, demanding that they abandon beliefs in order to be “more inclusive”. Now, California is considering adoption of this position by law.
Second, the proposed law applies to private educational institutions, and makes no exceptions for private religious schools. Indeed, its language is so broad that if a church has a children’s Sunday School (and all evangelical/pentecostal/charismatic churches do!), the Sunday School becomes a qualified educational institution and the organization that sponsors it must either abandon any beliefs concerning homosexuality being a sin, and embrace the concept, or lose tax exempt status.
Third, in 1984, the US Supreme Court ruled in Roberts v. Jaycees, that a Minnesota civil rights law prohibited the Jaycees from barring women as members. This was the first time that the US Supreme Court had ruled that a private organization could be compelled to admit women. In the dissent, justices wondered where this precedent would lead to — the example I recall was “If five guys get together every Friday night for poker, does a woman have the right to insist on membership?”. Well, here we are 29 years later, and the precedent is leading to a situation in which any member of any “privileged” group can demand full participation in any organization. I predict that within 10 years (probably less) we will have a court ruling that a church cannot exclude a homosexual from membership due to his/her sexual practices.
Brian
February 23rd, 2013 at 10:05 am
Thanks Brian for your additional input. Insightful as usual.
Your prediction- “I predict that within 10 years (probably less) we will have a court ruling that a church cannot exclude a homosexual from membership due to his/her sexual practices.”
-Seems unlikely considering the current makeup of the SCOTUS and the Constitution. However, considering what has happened in the last 10 years I cannot overrule the possibility particularly since Pres. Obama may get several more opportunities to change the court.
Blessings
March 9th, 2018 at 8:32 am
[…] is the potential law that the liberal state legislature in California is currently working on. It would not allow non-profit status for all organizations that oppose homosexuality and same-sex marriage (except for churches and official worship centers). They plan to target the […]