Texas Governor Rick Perry (R) is upset with Madonna for her recent protest against the Boy Scouts' ban on gay members and leaders, calling her comments a “gratuitous shot” at the organization, the Houston Chronicle reported Friday.
In an appearance on the Glenn Beck Program on Tuesday, Perry chastised Madonna for her behavior at a March 16 Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) event, in which the pop star wore a Cub Scout uniform and blasted the Boy Scouts’ "stupid" ban on gay members.
“It’s fascinating that someone would make that kind of gratuitous shot at an organization that has probably done as much to promote young men to the type of values that the vast majority of the people in this country aspire to,” Perry told Beck.
Perry -- an outspoken supporter of the Boy Scouts and an Eagle Scout -- said in February that he strongly believes the organization should uphold its anti-gay policy as a matter of principle.
“Hopefully the board will follow their historic position of keeping the Scouts strongly supportive of the values that make Scouting this very important and impactful organization,” Perry said.
The Scouts’ National Council is expected to announce whether it will reverse the organization’s current policy in May.
During his appearance on Beck’s radio program, Perry also said that he views Eagle Scouts favorably when reviewing the resumes of prospective employees.
"You know, I get to see a lot of resumes, Glenn... and when I see Eagle Scout, I pull that out and I set it aside because I know something about this individual without ever meeting them," Perry explained. "That’s the type of individuals I want to be working with and I’m counting on to take the great State of Texas forward."
In January, the Boy Scouts denied a gay California teen Eagle Scout status because he reportedly failed to meet “membership standards,” even though a volunteer Eagle Scout Board of Review approved the teen’s application.
During her appearance at the GLAAD event, Madonna advocated for a more compassionate dialogue in the gay rights debate, likening the LGBT bullying epidemic to abuses inflicted against African Americans before the civil rights movement.
“What did Jesus teach? It's in all the holy books: Love thy neighbor as thy self,” Madonna told the GLAAD crowd. “We cannot use the name of God or religion to justify acts of violence, to hurt, to hate, to discriminate.”
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