US: Court rules that Boy Scouts can lease public land despite banning gay members and leaders
A US appeals court has ruled that the Boy Scouts of America can lease public land from the City of San Diego despite them banning gay people from being members or leaders.
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said that to leases chartered by the Boy Scouts did not violate a constitutional separation of the Church and State in the US.
In 2000, the organisation won a 5-4 US Supreme Court decision allowing it to ban gay people from being members or leaders.
The San Diego case revolves around parts of two popular city parks that are used to provide urban
children with a camping experience. The Boy Scouts pay virtually no rent in exchange for developing facilities on the land. Those suing said they would use the land but can’t because of the discriminatory policies of the Boy Scouts.
A lower court judge originally found the leases unconstitutional. But today in the judgement by the appeals court reversed that finding.
“The city’s practice of leasing its lands is by no means occasional or targeted in favor of sectarian organizations,” the court wrote.
Andrew Woodmansee, an attorney for those suing the Boy Scouts said that they will now consider the options for a further appeal.
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