GLAA asks Airports Authority not to donate confiscated material to BSA
Gay and Lesbian Activists AllianceP.O. Box 75265
Washington, DC 20013
202-667-5139
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
Norman M. Glasgow, Jr., Esq.
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
1 Aviation Circle
Washington DC 20001-6000
Dear Mr. Glasgow:
We are troubled by a report in the Washington Post on February 4, 2003, that Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is planning to donate to the Boy Scouts of America some the many scissors it has collected as a result of security screening passengers' luggage.
The Boy Scouts of America have clearly established that one of their guiding principles is discrimination and intolerance, particularly toward gays. We do not believe that any organization, especially a quasi-governmental body such as yours, should be actively supporting a group that openly embraces bigotry. It is especially inappropriate for an airport to do so as a result of security methods aimed at protecting Americans from those who would seek to harm us because of our commitment to tolerance and diversity.
There are many worthy groups in the area, such as the Girl Scouts of America, the Metropolitan Police Boys and Girls Clubs, and District of Columbia Public Schools, which are worthy of the airport's consideration and which do not promote bigotry against gays. We urge you to reconsider your plan to donate confiscated material to the Boy Scouts of America, and offer the material instead to an entity or entities that promote tolerance and inclusiveness.
Sincerely,
Kevin Davis,
President
cc: Warner H. Session, Chair
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Advisory Committee
