Despicable: Boy Scouts Continues to Ban Gay Scouts, Leaders

Boy Scouts of America reaffirms policy banning gays

Boy Scouts Re-evaluates Policy on Gay Members

The Boy Scouts of America have no intention of changing the policy that prohibits gays from joining their ranks, as they re-evaluated the rule and will continue to support it.

The Boy Scouts reaffirmed the policy after a special committee conducted a confidential two-year review in response to protests from members and some board members.

In the end, however, they decided to uphold their policy to ban gay troop members and scout leaders from joining the organization.

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Deron Smith, a spokesman for the Boy Scouts released a statement that said the committee represented "a diversity of perspectives and opinions."

The committee, however, "came to the conclusion that this policy is absolutely the best policy for the Boy Scouts."

Smith added, "The review included forthright and candid conversation and extensive research and evaluations -- both from within Scouting and from outside of the organization."

In a statement sent to The Times, Bob Mazzuca, the Boy Scouts' chief executive, commented on the gay ban, noting, "The vast majority of the parents of youth we serve value their right to address issues of same-sex orientation within their family, with spiritual advisers and at the appropriate time and in the right setting."

He added, "We fully understand that no single policy will accommodate the many diverse views among our membership or society."

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Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) president Herndon Graddick released a statement expressing the organization's disappointment: "With organizations including the Girl Scouts of the USA, the Boys & Girls Club and the U.S. military allowing gay Americans to participate, the Boy Scouts of America need to find a way to treat all children and their parents fairly. Until this ban is lifted, the Scouts are putting parents in a situation where they have to explain to their children why some scouts and hard-working scout leaders are being turned away simply because of who they are."

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is so very sad. It is not GAY people who harm our children, PEDOPHILES are the problem. Bainning gays sends a terrible message to today's youth and it's sad and oh-so backwards that the BSA doesn't realize that.