It will cost the local chapter of the Boy Scouts of America's plenty to maintain their anti-gay policy. To be exact, $200,000 a year if it wishes to keep its headquarters in a city-owned building on Logan Square, according to a recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Intolerance and non-acceptance has a hefty price tag these days in the City of Brotherly Love.

The Inquire reports that representatives of the Boy Scouts of America's Cradle of Liberty Council were notified that to remain in their 79-year-old landmark headquarters, they needed to pay the city a "fair market" rent, according to Fairmount Park Commission president Robert N.C. Nix. He said that the current rent is $1 a year.

This is the latest move in the long standing battle with the City of Philadelphia, along with many members of the queer community and the Boy Scouts of America. Their position in discriminating against queer scouts is in clear opposition to the city's own anti-discriminatory fair-practices ordinance.

The Boy Scouts of America clearly discriminates against queers and this position is homophobic in nature. We at QUEERtimes stand in support of the city's position on the Boy Scouts.

However, we find ourselves concerned that in our quest for a world where discrimination doesn't exist we may be losing sight of the good that is performed by this organization and the services it provides to many kids in our region.

Cradle of Liberty Council Boy Scouts of America services about 64,000 scouts in Philadelphia and parts of Delaware and Montgomery Counties.  That's a lot of kids who are going to be negatively impacted by the new lease requirement.  Are they just collateral damage in the battle?

Regardless of our opposition to the Boy Scouts of America's position, we believe that the services they provide are essential to the growth and guidance of many boys and young men through