MARKETS

Cat cuts funding for Boy Scouts

CATERPILLAR will no longer fund the Boy Scouts of America because it says the group discriminates against gay scout leaders.

Staff Reporter

In a statement issued on Wednesday the OEM giant said while it welcomed the BSA’s decision last month to change its policy on openly gay scouts, it still discriminated against its leaders.

“While we applaud the decision by the Boy Scouts of America that youth may no longer be denied membership on the basis of sexual orientation or preference, the fact remains that the BSA continues a policy that does not allow adult leaders who are open or avowed homosexuals,” the company said in a statement according to The Peoria Journal Star.

“Because this policy does not align with Caterpillar’s enterprise policies on discrimination against sexual minorities, the Caterpillar Foundation does not invest in the BSA,” the statement continued.

Peoria-based Caterpillar spokeswoman Rachel Potts told the local news source the decision was not tied to the recent announcement that the BSA would continue to bar homosexual adults from roles within its organization.

She said the decision had actually been made last year when Caterpillar decided to cut off funding for a local scout group in Illinois.

The decision wasn’t announced publicly but was extended across the company nationally, Potts said, adding that the company had traditionally funded the BSA.

A Boy Scouts spokesman told the Associated Press that the decision was a disappointment.

"Although, we are disappointed in this decision we believe Caterpillar is a great company and appreciate all it has done for the youth in local communities," BSA public relations director Deron Smith said in an emailed statement to the AP.

"Our focus continues to be on working together to deliver the foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training."

Last year, Intel and UPS also withdrew support for the BSA on grounds of gay discrimination.

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