Boy Scouts Vote to Lift Ban on Gay Youth

In a significant vote, the Boy Scouts of America voted Thursday to lift the ban on gay youth, allowing openly gay boys to join the Boy Scouts starting next year.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the resolution was adopted with more than 60 percent of the vote. The vote, taken near Dallas, Tex., would allow gay youth into the organization starting Jan. 1, but did not include gay adult leaders.

The vote comes after much debate between gay supporters who advocated for inclusion of young gay scouts and those who opposed the change. Boy Scout leaders and supporters who opposed lifting the ban gathered across the country, including local Boy Scout groups who spoke out against the inclusion of gay Scouts.

Glendora Boy Scout leader and supporter, Doug Boyd told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that he believed the lifting the ban would only spell doom for the future of the Boy Scouts, driving away parents who may not want their son involved in an organization that allowed gay scouts.

 “This is not about a Scout that may have gay tendencies and keeps it to himself,” Boyd, a 50-year member of the Boy Scouts, told the newspaper. “It’s about openly gay Scouts. When you let your little boy go on a camping trip, people believe that he’s going to be safe.” 

Alan Snyder, chairman of the board of the Western Los Angeles County Council of the Boy Scouts of America, voted for the proposal. He told the Times: “We are disappointed that it doesn’t include everybody. Inclusive should be all-inclusive.”

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Do you think the Boy Scouts of America made the right decision in lifting the ban on gay Boy Scouts? Tell us in the comments.