US: Boy Scouts council to vote on lifting ban on gay members

May 23 2013
Written by Joseph McCormick

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

The Boy Scouts of America will today decide on whether or not to lift a historic ban on gay members, as is national council will vote on a resolution to lift the ban.

The final vote is scheduled to take place today, in Dallas-Fort Worth, Grapevine, where the 1,400 strong national council of local leaders, has convened a two-day meeting, during which it will deliberate over the issue.

The President of the BSA Wayne Perry, today wrote an editorial piece for USA Today, in which he said allowing gay members into the scouts would be “the right decision.”

The BSA currently has a national policy banning openly gay members, volunteers and staff. The resolution would lift the national ban, allowing individual scout troops to decide on whether to allow gay members. The resolution leaves in place a ban on gay adult scout leaders.

The BSA announced in April that it would propose to members of its National Council at a meeting in Texas later this month of lifting the ban on gay youth scouts, but maintaining a ban on gay adult leaders.

In July 2012, after a two year review, the Boy Scouts of America announced it would retain its ban on gay members, volunteers and staff.

Earlier this month, the Western Los Angeles branch of the BSA voiced its opposition to the discriminatory policy.

The council is backing a resolution which states that no youth or adult should be excluded “as a leader, volunteer or staff member solely based on their sexual orientation or preference.”

The Boy Scouts of America is currently embroiled in a debate over whether to lift its ban on gay volunteers, members and staff. In February, it delayed a vote on whether or not to lift the ban until May “due to the complexity of the issue”.

A poll released in February found that a majority of US voters thought the Boy Scouts of America should drop its ban on gay scouts, volunteers and staff.