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The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) voted Feb. 6 to delay a decision on allowing homosexual Scout leaders and troops until May when the organization’s 1,400-member National Council meets, citing more time needed “for a deliberate review of its membership policy.”
The board of the 103-year-old organization directed national committee leaders to “engage” Scouting members “and listen to their perspectives and concerns,” a press release issued by the BSA shortly after their vote said.
The vote followed almost two weeks of controversy and “an outpouring of feedback” after the Scouts announced they were considering, once again, removing the policy barring openly homosexual boys and adults from membership and positions of leadership. The proposed policy change brought out enough questions in BSA committees regarding the legal and social implications of such a move to prompt a vote to delay their decision.
Chip Turner, chairman of the BSA’s Religious Relations Committee, said he was pleased with the decision as it reflects a resolution passed by committees representing all 109,000 Boy Scout troops in America. Turner said there was only one dissenting vote as the resolution passed through three committees on its way to the executive board. The resolution asked the executive board to table a vote on the matter pending further discussion.
BSA’s top leadership presented the proposed membership policy change to the Religious Relations and other committees, opening the issue for discussion. Though no official polling was done within his committee, Turner said he believes the majority would have voted for a resolution maintaining the standards. But, he added, it would not have passed unanimously. The resolution to table the issue passed without dissent.
About 70 percent of Boy Scout troops are related to a church or faith-based institution.
At a rally outside of Scout headquarters the same morning as the BSA board vote, several hundred people gathered to pray, hear speakers and hold signs proclaiming such things as “Keep BSA morally straight” and “Keep God In, Sin Out!”
Darmonica Alexander of Lancaster said he was a Cub Scout and a Boy Scout growing up in Dallas. He said the Scouts were a positive influence in his upbringing and he couldn’t sit by without speaking up. Allowing gay Scout leaders would bring the potential for lawsuits when abuse occurs, he added.
“To allow homosexuality in the Scouts is one way of seeking and destroying the youth from the inside,” he said. “Nobody’s looking out for the kids.”
Susan Fletcher of Frisco said her son is one rank away from Eagle Scout and although she has nothing against homosexuals, “I just didn’t want them in leadership positions in the Scouts. This is America. They have a right to their own worldview. But I don’t think it’s appropriate for them to be camping out with Boy Scouts.”
Dave Welch of the U.S. Pastor Council in Houston told the crowd, “This is about the tyranny of the few to silence the many.” He encouraged those attending to “walk the grounds and pray and pray and pray.”
Jonathan Saenz of Texas Values said the victory for traditional values is temporary. “Let us not wait until the last day of April to get involved,” he added, alluding to the National Council meeting in May.
Saenz said a website, saveourscouts.net, would include updates as the issue continues to be debated.
Pressure from homosexual activists to overturn the prohibition of homosexual Scout leaders and troops has been applied for several decades. A 2001 Supreme Court decision gave the Scouts legal standing, but social pressure on sponsoring corporations has increased. Two prominent members of the BSA board—AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson and Ernst & Young CEO Jim Turley—have publicly supported a policy change.
