Derick Dillard used to be a member of the Boy Scouts, but it looks like he might not allow his sons to join the youth organization.
A lot has been going on in the world of politics lately, but Jill Duggar’s husband has been unusually quiet on social media. However, something finally happened that triggered a Twitter response from the Trump-supporting Counting On star. On Monday, Boy Scouts of America announced that it would begin welcoming transgender boys to join the organization. As the New York Times reports, the group will now accept members based on the gender that they list on their applications. Derick Dillard responded to this news by letting his Twitter followers know that he’s not happy about it.
“This is sad,” Dillard wrote in response to a Family Research Council tweet about the Boy Scouts’ decision to be more inclusive.
However, one of the Counting On star’s Twitter followers disagreed with his declaration that the move is “sad.”
“As the mother of two Scouts, one soon to be Eagle….this is NOT sad. I’m proud of BSA. #beascout,” she wrote.
Derick Dillard responded by expressing his disapproval once again.
As an Eagle Scout myself and the brother of an Eagle Scout and a BSA District Executive, yes, this is sad. https://t.co/5Jq25B48bU
— Derick Dillard (@derick4Him) January 31, 2017
This isn’t the first time anti-transgender views have been publicly expressed by a Counting On star. As the Huffington Post reports, Derick’s mother-in-law, Michelle Duggar , once equated transgender women to child predators. The former 19 Kids and Counting star made this controversial comparison in a robocall against a Fayetteville, Arkansas anti-discrimination ordinance. The aim of the ordinance was to protect members of the LGBT community, and Fayetteville City Attorney Kit Williams responded to Michelle Duggar’s derogatory remarks by accusing her of “fear-mongering.”
Michelle Duggar uses Fox News to slam transgender people… again http://t.co/GYgbhOdOCU
— Huffington Post (@HuffingtonPost) June 4, 2015
Derick Dillard obviously has a major issue with transgender scouts, but he hasn’t shared his feelings about gay scouts and scout leaders being allowed to join the Boy Scouts of America. However, the Counting On star did recently celebrate a man who lobbied to make the organization more inclusive. In December, one of Dillard’s Twitter followers informed him that President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, “is an Eagle Scout from Stillwater.”
“This is cool! My dad was a scoutmaster in Stillwater. #eaglescout,” Derick tweeted in response.
It’s possible that Derick Dillard is unaware that the Family Research Council — the conservative Christian organization that he retweeted in response to the Boy Scouts’ decision to accept transgender members — does not like Rex Tillerson at all. Tillerson is actually the former president of the Boy Scouts of America, and he fought for the organization to begin accepting gay scouts and scout leaders. According to the Hill , Family Research Council President Tony Perkins slammed Donald Trump for choosing Tillerson to serve on his cabinet.
“To hear that Donald Trump may be appointing a man who not only led the charge to open the Boy Scouts to gay troop leaders but whose company directly gives to Planned Parenthood is upsetting at best,” Perkins said.
Perkins also accused Tillerson of “risking the well-being of young boys under his charge in an attempt to placate radical homosexual activists.”
It looks like 19-month-old Israel David Dillard probably won’t be following in his father’s footsteps by joining the Boy Scouts in the future, and he’s not the only Dillard son who will someday be denied the opportunity to learn how to build a fire outdoors and tie various forms of knots. As Us Weekly reports, Derick Dillard and Jill Duggar recently revealed that they’re expecting another baby boy .
“Israel didn’t really understand what was happening but he’s just excited because other people are excited, so he’s just excited about his new little baby brother,” Derick said in a video announcement for TLC.
Jill Duggar’s due date is sometime in July.
Are you surprised by Derick Dillard’s comments about the Boy Scouts’ decision to accept transgender members? Share your thoughts in the comment below.
[Featured Image by Derick Dillard/Instagram ]