Some positive news. Boy Scouts of USA.

[Deepcrush]

Boys Scouts of America hold first and only open vote on gay membership. The "official" (though rarely enforced) ban on open gays within the organization is over. To me, as an Eagle Scout, I'm extremely proud of this moment in our history.

[Tsukiyumi]

It's good news; it may be a while before they lift the ban on gay scout leaders (or adult scouts), though. As it stands now, the moment a scout turns 18, they're out of the organization.

[Deepcrush]

Well leaders are picked by the specific troop council. So while the organization as a whole won't promote or support openly gay members or activities. It still leaves the leadership selection to the individual Units. Having gay members is nothing new in BSA, its just that BSA is a highly christian and highly conservative group. So the truth is that open ANYTHING is frowned on. My mother was the sixth woman in the US entered into the Order of the Arrow and even then no one knew what to do about it. Just kind of a big confusion as too so few women being in but no reason not to let them. Finally, anything where you have to gather the votes from 3 million people, most of which are between 13 and 18... asking for speedy process to anything isn't easy.

[Mikey]

As I read it, openly gay scouts who become adults and wish to continue their experience by becoming scout leaders are... well, they're beat like a bass drum. Unfortunately, there's no way to go back from being an openly gay scout (now allowed) to being a closeted scout leader.

What's unfortunate about this event - which should be celebrated as a positive milestone for the BSA - is that there are thousands of parents who are: proclaiming their intention to possibly leave the BSA and/or intending to have their churches withdraw support for the BSA... instead of what they should do, which is continue to have the BSA teach important lessons to their kids.

[Deepcrush]

If a few thousand want to leave then let them leave. Anyone who can't deal with reality is as far as I'm concerned, just unwanted trash.

[Mikey]

If a few thousand want to leave then let them leave. Anyone who can't deal with reality is as far as I'm concerned, just unwanted trash.

Agreed 100%. However, I doubt it will be limited to a few thousand. When a couple of groups split off from the Girl Scouts, they took 20k members with them. This could be potentially much more divisive.

[Deepcrush]

Eh, still a small number and I don't care even if it was a big number. Anyone who is more interested in being or promoting problems then providing a safe and stable environment for kids should be put out anyways. I spend all day and night with work cleaning up petty civil messes, I don't plan on allowing children to have to deal with it in a place they should be learning rather then fussing.

[Teaos]

Great move, and now they've done this I expect any last barriers to fall soon as well when they realise this isnt the end of the world.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Good for them.

[Deepcrush]

Great move, and now they've done this I expect any last barriers to fall soon as well when they realise this isnt the end of the world.

There will always be barriers, they just mean less and less over time. The fact that the ruling was pushed because the majority of units already have openly gay members anyways means its just a formal end to an informal issue.