I strongly disagree with the March 6 letter “Boy Scouts,” by Eric Vymyslicky. I will ignore his deliberately offensive tone and respond on a higher level than his writing deserves.

Personally, I was glad to see that a New Jersey state appeals court ruled in favor of a Scout leader who was kicked out of the Boy Scouts in 1990, when they learned that he was gay. This young man, James Dale, had joined the Boy Scouts when he was 8 years old, received more than 30 merit badges and earned the rank of Eagle Scout before he became an assistant Scoutmaster. Dale was their model scout — until they found out he was gay. Then they kicked him out.

When I was a child, I was a Boy Scout myself. The Boy Scouts of America emphasizes courage, character, honesty and reverence for the beliefs of others, all of which Dale had in abundance. The revocation of his Scout registration stressed bigotry as a value, contrary to the announced policies of the BSA itself.

There is overwhelming evidence that heterosexuals are usually the perpetrators of crimes against children. Should we ban all heterosexuals from guiding our children and grandchildren? Such hypocrisy and ignorance are degrading and undermining the Boy Scouts of America and its goals.

It is troubling to read that some Boy Scout leaders believe that promoting prejudging, ignorance and discrimination is helpful in the stated goal “to promote citizenship training, character and personal fitness.”

Some of the finest examples of citizenship, morality and character are the gay men and women that I know. It is appalling that anyone would use such useless criteria as sexual orientation to determine job qualifications.

William C. Stosine

Iowa City