Boy Scouts of America Proposal Would Allow Gay Youth Members

In a significant change from their standard operating procedure, the Boy Scouts of America have proposed a revised policy on admitting homosexual boys among their youth ranks. 

"No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone," the proposed policy states. But the organization "will maintain the current membership policy for all adult leaders."

So far the proposal is just that, and does not guarantee that the Boy Scouts will change their current policy when a vote is held by scout leaders in May. The proposal would also still uphold the ban on gay leadership in the Boy Scouts, drawing the ire of gay rights activists.

"The Boy Scouts have missed an opportunity to exercise leadership and usher the organization back to relevancy," said Richard Ferraro, vice president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination. "What this resolution appears to be doing is reinforcing the outrageous idea that gay people somehow pose a threat to kids, which experts like the American Psychological Association have dismissed for more than a decade."

As upset over the proposals as those in the gay rights community are, it does not appear that those on the more socially conservative end of the spectrum are much happier about the move. Some are categorizing it as a war against the established image of the Boy Scouts of America.

"The general feeling is that this is a bad move," , A.J. Smith, president of the Association of Baptists for Scouting, wrote in a website post, attempting to summarize Baptists' views. "This is about a concerted effort to bring down a cultural icon. We must brace ourselves for the long haul on this one."

It's been a long time coming for this advancement, albeit small, for gays in the Boy Scouts.  For over 100 years, starting at its inception in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America did not seriously consider allowing homosexuals among their ranks. In 2000 the Supreme Court recognized the Boy Scouts' right to exclude gays and in July of 2012, the group's board voted to uphold the ban.