Thanks for using my photo, Religion News Service, to show that love always wins

Boy Scout Memorial 19242

Boy Scout Memorial, Washington, DC USA (View on Flickr.com)

Catholic leaders urge support for Boy Scouts after shift on gays | Religion News Service

Normally when my photographs are published somewhere I tweet a thank you and that’s the end of that. I thought this time special mention is called for. I originally published the photograph myself (see: Photo Friday: Comparing two monuments – Gay Liberation Monument (NYC) and Boy Scout Memorial (DC) | Ted Eytan, MD) .

All of the photos I publish are licensed to use via Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0), which means a person/organization is welcome to use them, edit them, republish them, for commercial or non-commercial use, as long as they perpetuate the same level of sharing and attribution.

Sometimes I am less happy with the ideas that one of my photographs is being used to illustrate. That’s the way open leadership works, though. Sharing is sharing.

This is not the case this time.

When we were younger, there was a dominant belief in many communities that “religion” and “love” are two separate things when it came to accepting people from diverse backgrounds. The Religion News Service (@RNS) article using my photograph isn’t about that.

(Edward P., Chairman of the National Catholic Committee) Martin said that in the week following the vote, he and his colleagues consulted with the BSA, with other faith-based Scouting groups and with Catholic experts, and weighed feedback on social media before declaring themselves satisfied that the new policy would not conflict with Catholic teaching.

The Boy Scouts haven’t gone far enough (yet). One day they will change the requirement for all people involved in the organization to be just “human beings.” In the meantime, it’s great to connect something I’ve done to something that shows that love always wins :).

  • Civil Rights Protesters, Washington DC
  • Let Freedom and Love Ring
  • Please!
  • Chris and Hampton
  • Prop 8 ruling outside Federal court in San Francisco 4
  • Washington DC Demonstration for Equality November 15 2008 15664
  • reason to celebrate
  • https://www.flickr.com/photos/wooferstl/5271572771/
  • Standing on the Side of Love with LGBT People Everywhere!
  • Marriage Equality Celebration by The Stonewall
  • CA Day of Decision
  • Civil Marriage Protection Act 2012 Signing Ceremony
  • SCOTUS - DOMA  20991
  • Boy Scout Memorial 19242
  • 2013 Rally for Transgender Equality 21169
  • SCOTUS  26251
  • March on Washington 2013 29383

(We just have to make sure we’re adhering to the license and Flickr Community Guidelines and create an actual link back to the photograph, Religion News Service – I’ll send you an email – email sent , with quick response. Thank you Religious News Service!)

Ted Eytan, MD