NEW YORK (AP) –– Under pressure over its longstanding ban on gays, the Boys Scouts of America is proposing to lift the ban for youth members but continue to exclude gays as adult leaders.

The Scouts announced Friday that it would submit this proposal to the roughly 1,400 voting members of its National Council at a meeting in Texas the week of May 20.

Earlier, the BSA had indicated it might give local Scout units the option of admitting gays as both youth members and adult leaders, or continuing to exclude them

The BSA said Friday it changed course due in part to results of surveys sent out this year to members of the scouting community.

Gay-rights groups have demanded a complete lifting of the ban. Some churches and conservative groups want it maintained.

labels and labels, so confusing

would you rather shower next to someone potentially aroused at your naked body or would their potential arousal only matter if they were not the same sex?

I wouldnt want to be sharing close quarters with a heterosexual male or a homosexual female,,,,its not the anatomy, its the potential reaction that would bother me


,, but everyone is different,,,,will be interesting to note their decision,,,

maybe we should do away with girl or boy scouts so as not to appear sexist and just have a coed SCOUTS program for all genders,,,,,?

labels and labels, so confusing

would you rather shower next to someone potentially aroused at your naked body or would their potential arousal only matter if they were not the same sex?

I wouldnt want to be sharing close quarters with a heterosexual male or a homosexual female,,,,its not the anatomy, its the potential reaction that would bother me


,, but everyone is different,,,,will be interesting to note their decision,,,

maybe we should do away with girl or boy scouts so as not to appear sexist and just have a coed SCOUTS program for all genders,,,,,?

I wonder how many scouts will quit if this passes?

I wonder how it is determined when applying for scouts that one is 'homosexual' or 'heterosexual'? Is it asked on the application?

that would be a problem

it shouldnt be assumed, it should be acted upon as a response to inappropriate behavior,, like kids coming onto other kids,, regardless of gender,,,

I don't think it's the kids that they are worried about. It's the single, homosexual. predator scout leaders that have been the problem.

I don't think it's the kids that they are worried about. It's the single, homosexual. predator scout leaders that have been the problem.

I don't think it's the kids that they are worried about. It's the single, homosexual. predator scout leaders that have been the problem.

I don't think it's the kids that they are worried about. It's the single, homosexual. predator scout leaders that have been the problem.


I think that Mingle's servers are having a problem...

I don't think it's the kids that they are worried about. It's the single, homosexual. predator scout leaders that have been the problem.

I think that Mingle's servers are having a problem...

yet, I still think sexual preference should remain private , and if it were, people would truly be 'judged' by their action

if someone acted inappropriately, they should be removed, if they carry themself professionally they should not

it becomes much easier when we discard the sexual preference labels as a way to define people or ourself

I think the scouts should be free to do whatever they want. That is what the word "free" is all about. They are a good organization that does good things.

I grew up in scouts. I don't see a need to change them. I am equally surprised the atheists haven't screeched about their oath...

The Boy Scouts Of America have been allowing some homosexuals in for years very quietly. They do try and identify by various methods the factors that may identify the predator types. This, has also been admitted to very quietly for years.
There are no absolute uniform rules regarding this; each troop, as it were can and do decide for themselves as to whom it will admit. Once again there is pressure to have an open blanket admissions policy. This uniformity has never existed in the Scouts, and neither in the various Scout organizations through out Europe. There, the Troops decide and so far, no real ans\d serious problems that would in any way put any children at risk of a predator.
Contrary to some in the US, there are no hordes of raving predators waiting at Scout offices to enlist and be ready to start grabbing kids like candy from a shelf. Some are there, to be sure, but so far, the safeguards that have been in place in some areas, have worked to keep children safe. Which does not mean to say that certain types of safeguards will uniformly work everywhere. Perhaps allowing the status-quo to remain as it has, for the last several years, quietly continue as per Troop. Freedom of choice and freedom of association are still part of all citizen rights and many assorted groups must learn to accept that people are still free to associate with whom they please as well as their children. The real problem is do people believe in their rights strongly enough to stand up for them when push comes to shove. Some do; many don't. Perhaps it should be the other way around...

you and I were one of the lucky ones that were not ***** in the *** by one of the sick perverts in scouting. I knew someone who was.

One of thousands reported.

Same here but the infamous 'Y' as in the YMCA and the Big Brothers are and have been like a shopping mart for the pervs for decades...