Boy Scouts Lift Membership Restriction
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) issued a statement last month announcing they would no longer deny membership to any youth based solely on sexual orientation. The 103-year-old youth organization has more than 2.7 million members (and more than 110 million former members) across the United States. At their annual meeting in Grapevine, Texas, the Boy Scouts of America national council debated the issue thoroughly and took a vote. More than 60 percent of the council’s 1,400 members voted to end the ban on permitting homosexual membership in the youth organization. The rule prohibiting openly homosexual adult leaders, however, was not up for voting and remains in place.
Photo Credit: Photo by Lynn Betts, USDA Natural Resources Conservation ServiceBoy Scouts have been learning the values of community service for over a century.
This emotionally-charged debate has been a long-standing one. Those who have favored lifting the ban say that the decision conforms to the changing attitudes, laws, and polices regarding same-sex marriage and homosexuals serving in the national military forces. Those opposed to the change believe this lifestyle is in opposition to the core values of the Boy Scouts organization.
In its official statement on the matter, the Boy Scouts of America organization made it clear that regardless of any change in policy, the organization forbids scouts from engaging in any sexual activity. The BSA stated that because the organization is youth-focused, tolerance of any kind of sexual activity by its members would be contrary to the virtues of scouting.
Avenues of Support
Certainly, in an issue of this importance, not everyone agrees with the decision.The Boy Scouts organization has found some support in what may seem to be an unexpected place–the organization’s partnership with many faith-based organizations. As part of its structure, the BSA works with outside community organizations that “charter” a Boy Scout unit. Out of the current 100,000 units, about 70 percent are chartered by faith-based organizations. This is in contrast to 7 percent chartered by educational groups and 22 percent chartered by various civic organizations.
For instance, the United Methodist Church issued a statement supporting the end of the membership ban.The Catholic Church has as of yet taken no official position on the matter, It was the Mormon faith, however, that made a significant impact in supporting the Boy Scouts membership decision. The Mormon faith charters nearly 38,000 units. Its official response to the Boy Scout decision was supportive, stating that the true value of the Boy Scout experience is its emphasis on moral behaviors and core values that lead to responsible adult actions.
Corporate sponsors were another driving force behind the change in policy. Intel, which donated more than $700,000 in 2009, made a public statement that they would withdraw their support from any troops that continued to exclude gay scouts. Gay rights activists were successful in obtaining more than 1.8 million signatures on a petition in support of ending the ban. Those opposed only managed to obtain 250,000 signatures urging BSA delegates to vote down an end to the ban.
Looking Ahead
The new policy will go into effect on January 1, 2014. The BSA expressed its wish to move past this issue. But the organization is likely to experience transitional conflict. Conservative families who oppose the new policy will likely leave the organization as those who had been once discriminated against return.