Scouts Under Fire From Both Sides After Compromise on Gays

The Boy Scouts of America’s vote last year to lift a ban on openly gay youth—while maintaining a bar on homosexual adults—has done little to temper criticism of the organization’s policies on sexual orientation, The New York Times writes.

While conservatives continue to assail the organization for opening up membership to gay minors, the ban on gay men and lesbians serving as troop leaders has drawn ire from activists and proved legally problematic because it treats different classes of members distinctly.

The matter of a Seattle troop that had its charter revoked by the national Scouts because it refused to dismiss a gay scoutmaster has drawn national attention. None of the major corporations and foundations that dropped funding for the Scouts when the group barred all gays has resumed support under the new policy, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights advocacy organization.