Majority of Americans want Boy Scouts to drop gay ban, but Scouts postpone decision

Zach Wahls, founder of Scouts for Equality The Boy Scouts of America really can't make up its mind about how strongly to commit to discrimination against gay scouts and scoutmasters. In 2000, the organization went all the way to the Supreme Court in defense of its right to keep out those scary, scary gay kids and has stuck to that policy until saying, last week, that maybe the policy would change to allow individual troops to accept gay people. Except maybe not! Now, after "an outpouring of feedback," the decision is being postponed until May because "due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs time for a more deliberate review of its membership policy."

Let's remember here that the big complex issue is whether to drop the policy of enforced anti-gay discrimination for a more open policy of optional discrimination or keep it mandatory.

And while doubtless there are plenty of bigots up in arms about the possible change'because aren't there always'the American people are definitely in favor of allowing gay kids to be Boy Scouts and gay parents to be scoutmasters. A Quinnipiac poll finds 55 percent of people in favor of ending the ban and allowing gay scouts, while just 33 percent are opposed. While there's a big gender gap, with more women in favor, men still want to allow gay scouts by a 10-point margin. But religion is where the real gap opens up. White Catholics overwhelmingly support gay scouts, 63 percent to 25 percent. White evangelical Protestants, though, want to keep the ban by almost as strong a margin, with 56 percent opposed to gay scouts while 33 percent are in favor.

So to whatever extent white evangelical Protestants are a bastion of Boy Scouts, the pressure on the organization to keep on discriminating will be that much stronger. But there's right and there's wrong, and what's being debated here is whether the Boy Scouts will keep being quite so wrong. Not having the courage to just make a decision'the right decision'hardly sets a good example of moral courage for today's scouts. And really, I guarantee you that everyone but the most delusional 10 percent knows damn well that this policy won't last another generation. The question is not if it ends but when.

12:03 PM PT:

The Boy Scouts postponed their decision on admitting gays? What, were they not prepared?

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