Incompetence met intolerance at a Chicago-area YMCA last weekend, resulting in the dismissal of two YMCA executives and the revelation of some curious event scheduling at the ostensibly Christian organization:

YMCA director has been fired and overnight facility rentals banned after the parents of young children arriving for a morning swim meet clashed with participants in an overnight transgender fashion show and ball. ...

Authorities said a YMCA member had reserved the entire facility from 11 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday for the fashion show and ball. The YMCA rented out the rooms, although families were scheduled to arrive at 7 a.m to use some of the same rooms for a swim meet.

When I read this, I shook my head and wondered what the hell happened to the YMCA I used to know. Their overt Christianity has mellowed over the years, but I cannot fathom how an organization whose mission is "to develop a faith for daily living based upon Judeo-Christian teachings that they may thereby be helped in achieving their highest potential as children of God" decided to rent out the facility to a transgender fashion show and ball. For that matter, I don't understand why the transgender community would go to the Y for a rental. Maybe it's the cheapest place to hold it, but didn't they realize that families who use the facility might object and cause some sort of problem?

And while we're at it, let's not forget those parents who objected to the double-booking with slurs and hostility:

Police and private security guards were called after some parents used sexual slurs, and scuffling broke out, authorities said. No arrests were made.

I think any of us who attended middle school know exactly what kind of slurs were used. One parent is quoted as saying that he doesn't want transgenderism forced onto his five-year-old, with which I completely sympathize. I would also hope that he wouldn't want his children to learn that the way to deal with those who differ is to ridicule and beat them, but hey, that's just me.

The YMCA has fired the acting director of the facility and accepted the resignation of its scheduling coordinator. Perhaps the organization might want to gin up some guidelines on rentals as well as offer a course in anger management to its customers.

UPDATE: There's more to this story, as CQ reader Cracker Barrel Philosopher notes in the comments:

"When I got there with my 7-year-old daughter on Sunday morning, I could sense some bad mojo," said Paul N., a parent of a swimmer.

Mojo?

"It might have been the 6-foot-tall gentleman in tight, leather pants and the leather bustier and the handcuffs, or the other men in leather skirts," he said.

"But I think it was the used condoms and cigarettes in the women's locker room that got the parents upset."

They dared leave cigarette butts?

"Yes," Paul said.

And, uh, who cleaned up the used prophylactics?

"Not me," he said.

Lovely.

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» You Better Get To The YMCA from Let's Try Freedom
What's a great event combination for a YMCA? Transgender sex parties and kid's swimming, of course! The behavior of the parents who were apparently very rude to the transgender folks is unacceptable, of course. The real villains here appear to b... [Read More]

Tracked on December 24, 2004 1:01 PM

» Well this is gonna piss off Andrew Sullivan...how from The Pink Flamingo Bar Grill
hehe...Great the YMCA joins the headlong rush into the pit of nothingness that defines leftist morals. Read this story and ask yourselves how you would feel had you been one of the parents with some young children who might have had to explain why me... [Read More]

Tracked on December 24, 2004 2:25 PM