Irving-based Boy Scouts of America is weighing whether the organization should lift its current ban on gay scouts and gay leaders.
The Scouts have agreed to review a proposal that would allow individual units to accept gays as adult leaders, but a spokesman says there's no expectation that the ban on gay leaders will in fact be lifted any time soon.
The resolution was submitted by a BSA leader from the Northeast in April and presented last week at the Scouts' national meeting in Orlando, Fla., according to BSA spokesman Deron Smith.
Nearly 300,000 petitioners believe the Scouts’ current policy discriminates against gay scouts and leaders. Gay-advocates claim its costing the Scouts membership and public support.
The resolution asks the organization to throw out the national ban and allow local charters to decide whether to accept gay youth and leaders.
If approved, the proposal would end a century old policy that has been debated and shot down before. In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Scouts to keep the ban despite a legal challenge.
Smith said the proposal would be referred to a subcommittee, which will then make a recommendation to the national executive board. The process would likely be completed next year, according to Smith, who said there were no plans at this time to change the policy.
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The Scouts insist its current stance reflects the beliefs of its members and said same-sex attraction should be discussed outside of the youth program.
