Boy Scouts of America Ends Ban on Openly Gay Leaders

The national governing body of the Boy Scouts of America voted Monday to remove the group’s ban on openly gay adult leaders and employees. This puts an end to a policy that has deeply divided the membership of the 105-year-old Texas-based organization.

San Diego’s LGBT Weekly reports:

Today, the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) ratified a resolution that removed the national restriction on openly gay adult leaders and employees. Of those present and voting, 79 percent voted in favor of the resolution. The resolution was recommended for ratification by the Executive Committee earlier this month. The resolution is effective immediately.

The new policy, which bars discrimination based on the sexual orientation of organization employees, still allows church-organized local units to consider an individual’s sexual orientation when deciding who can volunteer and lead Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, and Venturing crews.

According to a release issued by the BSA today: “Chartered organizations will continue to select their adult leaders and religious chartered organizations may continue to use religious beliefs as criteria for selecting adult leaders, including matters of sexuality. This change allows Scouting’s members and parents to select local units, chartered to organizations with similar beliefs, that best meet the needs of their families. This change also respects the right of religious chartered organizations to choose adult volunteer leaders whose beliefs are consistent with their own.

“Moving forward, we will continue to focus on reaching and serving youth, helping them grow into good, strong citizens. By focusing on the goals that unite us, we are able to accomplish incredible things for young people and the communities we serve.”

HRC President Chad Griffin issued the following statement on the BSA announcement, “Today’s vote by the Boy Scouts of America to allow gay, lesbian and bisexual adults to work and volunteer is a welcome step toward erasing a stain on this important organization. But including an exemption for troops sponsored by religious organizations undermines and diminishes the historic nature of today’s decision. Discrimination should have no place in the Boy Scouts, period.

“BSA officials should now demonstrate true leadership and begin the process of considering a full national policy of inclusion that does not allow discrimination against anyone because of who they are.”