Disney Stops Providing Funding To Boy Scouts

(ericmeier2002)

For years, Disney’s Ears to You program has rewarded Disney employees’ volunteer efforts by donating money to various organizations for each volunteer hour worked. Until recently, various Boy Scout troop had benefited from these funds, but that appears to be put on hold because of Boy Scouts of America’s stance on homosexuality.

Though BSA very recently decided to reverse the ban on gay youth members, gay adults can still not volunteer as troop leaders.

While Disney has not made a public statement about its decision to withhold Ears to You funds to BSA, an organization called Scouts for Equality has posted a copy of a message sent from the BSA Central Florida Council Board President to local scout leaders and parents, stating that Walt Disney World employees are no longer receiving Ears to You funds for volunteer work with BSA.

“It has recently come to our attention that the grant program titled ‘Ears to You’ provided by Walt Disney World, to their employees, will be discontinued for Scouting volunteers,” reads the message. “[Walt Disney World] will no longer recognize volunteer hours with the Scout Council, District or Unit to receive grant funding.”

The letter says that BSA national leadership contacted Disney to see if a resolution could be reached, but “their views do not currently align with the BSA and they are choosing to discontinue this level of support.”

A handful of other large companies, including UPS, Merck, Caterpillar, and Intel, have previously called for a policy change at BSA.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist