WELLINGTON - Scouting New Zealand is working on policies to ban discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, after a Scout leader said he was forced to resign because he was gay.
The organisation's equal opportunities group has been briefed to produce anti-discrimination policies, but Scouting NZ said it would also
take into consideration the concerns of members and parents opposed to gay leadership.
Brent Mitchell, a former Canterbury area Venturer leader and assistant national Venturer commissioner, has said he was asked to resign after 25 years as a volunteer in the movement "due to the fact that I was wanting to be honest with everyone in the respect that I am actually gay."
The chairwoman of the working group, Lesley Anderson, said developing policies to stop gay members being discriminated against would be at the top of its meeting this month.
"We don't want to discriminate. But we've got to be aware of the needs of all our members, and being very aware that we are dealing with young people.
"Our membership does have a wide age range and we've got to be very aware of that. People become very emotional about it."
The Canterbury area commissioner, John Allen, has said Mr Mitchell was a committed Scout who resigned for the good of the movement because he realised that his sexual orientation could damage the public perception of Scouting NZ.
Mr Mitchell has formally asked for a review of his "constructive dismissal" and to be restored to the positions he held, but Scouting NZ has declined to reinstate him.
Ms Anderson said the working group would look at material from overseas Scouting movements, including Canada where a special troop for older gay Scouts had been established.
The Boy Scouts of America were found guilty of discrimination in 1998 after a 27-year-old gay assistant Scout leader was sacked.
Ms Anderson said the working group was aiming to present a preliminary report to Scouting NZ's annual meeting in May.
- NZPA
