Should Boy Scouts lift ‘gay ban’?

In one month, on May 23, the delegates to the Boy Scouts National Council will vote to possibly reverse the ban on openly gay members, while maintaining the ban on openly gay leaders. Due to pulled funding and intense political pressure, the Scouts are seriously considering the change.Susan Montgomery / Shutterstock.comBut where does this leave Boy Scouts’ chartering partner units? As an article by Catholic News Agency points out, the proposed resolution directly violates the convictions of the majority of the churches and other faith-based groups that partner with the Scouts. Lifting the ban could force these partners to face lawsuits and harassment or even to disassociate themselves from the Boy Scouts of America.Two intriguing points raised in the CNA article include:

  • The Boy Scouts’ policy of barring openly gay members was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2000 as a constitutional expression of free speech
  • The Boy Scouts do not ban members with same-sex attraction, but only the open promotion of homosexuality

So why the change? Would allowing open homosexuality actually benefit the Scouting community? Or is it simply a political push?Jennifer Rey is the web editor of Our Sunday Visitor Publishing.

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