Listen to this articleThe Boy Scouts sued Philadelphia May 27 after the city insisted they stop banning gays or start paying $200,000 a year in rent on a city-owned space they now get for $1.
The Scouts' Cradle of Liberty Council charges that the city is guilty of censorship, and claims it hasn't cracked down on other groups, such as churches, that discriminate against gays while getting reduced-rate leases on city properties.
The city responded that it isn't aware of any similarly situated organizations but will investigate any complaints it receives.
Mayor Michael Nutter said he will not tolerate any illegal discrimination when services are provided on city-subsidized property.
In 2003, the local Scouts council agreed not to discriminate against gays anymore, but the national Scouts organization later forced the council to rescind the agreement. National Scouts policy bans gays and atheists from being members of the organization.
