Boy Scouts Lift Ban on Gay Adult Leaders

Scottlum / CC BY-NC 2.0

On July 27, 2015, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) officially ended its controversial and long-standing ban on adult leaders who are openly gay. The Scouts’ 80-member national executive board approved the resolution that drops its blanket restriction on openly gay adult leaders and employees. Robert Gates, president of the BSA said, “For far too long, this issue has divided and distracted us. Now it’s time to unite behind our shared belief in the extraordinary power of scouting to be a force for good in a community and in the lives of its youth members.”

Two years earlier, in May 2013, the Boy Scouts’ National Council removed its restriction on membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation but kept the ban on gay adult leaders. This policy change was criticized by individuals and groups on both sides of the issue: LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) organizations felt it didn’t go far enough, and religious groups were against allowing openly gay youth to be BSA members. Prior to this and for more than 30 years, the Boy Scouts of America’s official position was to deny membership to individuals (members and leaders) who were openly gay.

The policy that lifts the ban on gay adult leaders includes exemptions for faith-based groups. The BSA statement says: “This change would also respect the right of religious chartered organizations to continue to choose adult leaders whose beliefs are consistent with their own."

As a point of comparison, the Girl Scouts of the USA have LGBT-inclusive policies and have no membership restrictions on sexual orientation. A recent example highlights this position: After an anonymous donor asked the Girl Scouts of Western Washington to ensure that the donor’s $100,000 contribution (almost one-quarter of the chapter’s annual fundraising goal) would not be used to help transgender girls, the chapter gave the money back. The group’s leader stated: "Girl Scouts is for every girl. And every girl should have the opportunity to be a Girl Scout if she wants to."

Anti-Defamation League Lesson Plan - Boy Scouts of America Lifts Ban on Gay Leaders