Will the Boy Scouts lift its ban on gay adults today?
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) appears to be set to lift its ban on gay adult scoutmasters, as soon as today.
The BSA’s national executive board was scheduled to ratify a decision made earlier this year to lift its blanket ban on gay scout leaders.
The 17-member executive committee of BSA earlier this month backed a resolution that would end the organisation’s blanket ban on gay leaders.
Gaining final approval from the National Executive Board is the final hurdle to resolving the issue which has dogged the Boy Scouts for years and led to bitter divisions within it.
Campaigners are hopeful ahead of the anticipated decision, with equality lawyer David Bois telling the New York Times: “It’s a great day for America and for scouting.”
However, some of the anti-gay Republican Presidential candidates have hit out at the decision – with Rick Perry claiming the BSA is “better off” not allowing openly gay scoutmasters.
The former Governor of Texas claimed: “I believe that scouting would be better off, if they didn’t have openly gay scoutmasters.”
Fellow 2016 presidential hopeful, Scott Walker who launched campaign this week, also voiced his support of the ban on gay troop leaders in the Boy Scouts of America.
