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