Philadelphia Demands Boy Scouts Renounce Policy About Gays Or Be Tossed Out of Their Space

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity & Colmes," November 20, 2007. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: The Boy Scouts of Philadelphia are in hot water for expressing some not-so-politically-correct views at a confrontation between city officials and the third largest Boy Scout chapter in the nation erupted due to the group's ban on homosexuals. Local officials are calling on the Scout leaders to renounce their policy or the exclusion or risk being evicted from their city-subsidized building.

Joining us now, the Philadelphia Boy Scouts' Mark Chilutti, and also with us is Jeff Jubelirer — is with us. Guys, welcome aboard.

You know, Mark, let me ask you. Here's the Boy Scouts. They've been in existence for how long, now, and it seems like this policy has been in place. Why all of a sudden? Why now? Why is this happening at this moment?

MARK CHILUTTI, PHILADELPHIA BOY SCOUTS: Well, the city solicitor of Philadelphia, I guess, has decided to make this a personal issue and bring it to the forefront, and that's why.

HANNITY: Jeff, isn't this an issue of, if you want to talk about intolerance, why is it if the Boy Scouts want have a different point of view, and especially in this day and age, when you're got teenage pregnancy. We have alcohol abuse.

And you have a group that is bringing boys together, and they talk about God, faith, family, and country. And that's their views, and they're keeping kids out of trouble. Why would people just get involved to try and just destroy the organization? Explain that.

JEFF JUBELIRER, BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA: Again, it's about politics. The current mayoral administration ends in about a month and a half, and maybe I think the current solicitor wants to make his legacy. Maybe he's looking at a Democratic administration to go to Washington in '08.

Meaning, we're taking care of inner city kids. Serving — seventy percent of our membership is minority, and doing after-school programming and mentoring, that's what — really, what Philadelphia needs now.

HANNITY: If we shut down the Boy Scouts, if we knock out all organizations that are keeping kids off the streets and keeping them out of trouble because people have political differences. Is that good for Philadelphia? Is that good for the country?

CHILUTTI: No, it's terrible. I mean, we're in a year where the homicide rate is at a record again, and Philadelphia and any big city — or small city for that matter needs these programs to give kids something to do.

HANNITY: So you're both basically describing, Jeff, sort of an agenda of one here, it seems. Because I can't imagine — you know, I don't see that there's such an outcry against the Boy Scouts on this issue. This seems to be the agenda of one.

JUBELIRER: Well, you know what, Sean? Here's the funny thing. We actually had an agreement and still do with the city of Philadelphia that they themselves, former city solicitor and the mayor's chief of staff, gave to us in 2005 a non-discrimination statements, which we adopted with national — national's blessing. That if you adopt this, we'll be fine, and nothing has happened since that time. There have been — one claim of discrimination...

ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: There's a big differnece between a national organization and a local organization. But Jeff, let me be clear. This is Alan. Welcome to you both. No one is saying you can't exist. No one is saying you're — the Supreme Court ruled, if you're a private organization you can do whatever you want.

JUBELIRER: Correct.

COLMES: Why should you get tax — why should you get free rent, basically, from the city? They're willing to keep you in your building as long as you pay a fair market price. Why should you get a special deal from the government, like any other private organization?

JUBELIRER: Well, there are other private nonprofit organizations that get the same deal we do.

COLMES: Do they discriminate like you do?

JUBELIRER: Maybe they do, maybe they don't.

COLMES: Well, actually, they don't.

JUBELIRER: But the thing is, Alan, $200,000, what they're asking us to pay could go to pay for 40 new Cub Scout packs and 800 needy kids going to summer camp.

COLMES: You're being treated like any other private organization, and you acknowledge — in fact I understand you have said that if someone comes forward, with something regarding sexual orientation, political beliefs, atheism or communism, that's a problem. Whatever it is, you don't — you do discriminate against those particular groups. And that's not acceptable, according to the Supreme Court of the United States.

JUBELIRER: Well, here what we don't do is quiz people when they come in. We're not about politics and sex. We're about doing good for the city of Philadelphia.

COLMES: If they happen to indicate they're gay, if they happen to indicate a certain political degree, they're agnostic, they're out. Not acceptable. You will not employ them.

JUBELIRER: Well, it's, there's — it's not a place — there's many organizations that would glad to have those folks in their ranks. We're a place doing good, charitable civic works.

COLMES: But you're a private group. You can exist. You ought to play by the rules of any other private organization.

Anyway, we thank you both very much for being with us.

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