Faced with intense pressure from two flanks, the Boy Scouts of America said Wednesday it
needed more time for consultations before deciding whether to move away from its
policy of excluding gays as scouts or adult leaders.
Possible changes in the policy — such as a
proposal to allow sponsors of local troops to decide for themselves on gay membership — will not
be voted on until the organization's annual meeting in May, the national
executive board said at the conclusion of closed-door deliberations.
As the board met over three days at a hotel
in Irving, near Dallas, it became clear that the proposed change would be
unacceptable to large numbers of Scouting families and advocacy groups on the
left and right. Gay-rights supporters said no Scout units should be allowed to
exclude gays, while some conservatives, including religious leaders whose
churches sponsor troops, warned of mass defections if the ban were eased. Read more
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