can you hear the sirens?

The whaaaaambulance is coming down the street! Who is it coming for? The SeaScouts, who are part of the Boy Scouts of America.

You see, the city of Berkeley pays berthing fees for non-profits who do not discriminate (i.e., Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, etc…) who use the marina. The public policy of discrimination of the BSA against gays and atheists violates the city’s policy, therefore, the city will not pay for the SeaScouts to use the marina.

It’s pretty simple:

Non-profit that is open to everyone (re: the public) = can get public money

Non-profit that practices discrimination = not getting public money

But, you see, this concept is not so easily grasped by the SeaScouts. They have sued the city and have now taken it up to the Supreme Court of the US (California SC ruled in favor of the city):

SAN FRANCISCO – The Berkeley Sea Scouts asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to overturn a lower court decision requiring the group to pay berthing fees at the Berkeley Marina.

[...]

The city revoked free berthing privileges for the Berkeley Sea Scouts because the Boy Scouts bar atheist and gay members, which violates the city’s 1997 policy to provide free berthing to nonprofits that don’t discriminate.

City officials told the Sea Scouts that the group could retain its berthing subsidy, valued at about $500 monthly per boat, if it broke ties with the Boy Scouts or disavowed the policy against gays and atheists.

The SeaScouts refused to break ties or denounce the discriminatory policies, claiming it was unconstitutional to make them do so.

The SeaScouts/BSA are, of course, free to discriminate against whoever they want but they cannot expect to get public, taxpayer money to support their group activities if they aren’t open to, well, the public.