Shame on the Boy Scouts of America for what many are viewing as an intolerant and bigoted act.

The organization has shut down a Seattle troop “for its refusal to remove an openly gay Scoutmaster,” Time is reporting. (There are several media outlets reporting this story.)

Says Time:

The BSA has revoked the charters of the Rainier Beach United Methodist Church and its two scouting units, Troop 98 and Pack 98, for standing by Geoffrey McGrath after the BSA ousted him as a Scoutmaster in March, according to Scouts for Equality, a group that lobbies against discrimination in the scouting movement.

Also in the Time report:

“The Boy Scouts’ decisions only serve to hurt a group of boys who need the values and leadership of someone like Scoutmaster McGrath,” Zach Wahls, the executive director of Scouts for Equality, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the BSA’s decision calls into question its commitment to leadership and values by perpetuating an outmoded policy rooted in fear and discrimination. History will show that today’s announcement is a self-inflicted wound.”

Amen to that.

Just what is the BSA teaching children, anyway?

– Jillian