Boy Scouts Reaffirm Stance on Homosexuality

Homosexual activists and fellow travelers like Ernst & Young CEO Jim Turley have the Boy Scouts of America in their crosshairs — hoping to turn it into a homosexuality-affirming organization — but they lost this time.

The Boy Scouts of America (972-580-2000) issued this statement yesterday, July 17, 2012. For background on the public campaign by Boy Scout Executive Board Member and Ernst & Young CEO Jim Turley to push the Scouts in a pro-homosexual direction, go HERE. We are thankful that Turley lost this one, but rest assured the pro-homosexuality movement will now step up its selfish pressure campaign against the Scouts [see this National Gay and Lesbian Task Force statement] — all in the nice-sounding name of “civil rights,” of course.

TAKE ACTION: Thank the Boy Scouts via their Contact Page or by using the information below. [To find your local area Scouts Council, Google your city and Boy Scouts, e.g., “Chicago Boy Scouts”]:

Mr. Robert “Bob” Mazzuca
Chief Scout Executive
Boy Scouts of America
PO Box 152079
Irving, Texas 75015-2079

972-580-2000
PR@scouting.org
___________________

After Two-Year Evaluation, Boy Scouts of America Affirms Membership Standards and Announces No Change in Policy

Organization to Take No Further Action on Resolution Requesting Revision of Policy

IRVING, TEXAS – After careful consideration of a resolution asking the Boy Scouts of America to reconsider its longstanding membership standards policy, today the organization affirmed its current policy, stating that it remains in the best interest of Scouting and that there will be no further action taken on the resolution.

This decision follows a nearly two-year-long examination, started in 2010, of the policy commissioned by the Chief Scout Executive and national president. Under their leadership, the BSA convened a special committee of volunteers and professional leaders to evaluate whether the policy continued to be in the best interest of the organization.

The committee included a diversity of perspectives and opinions. The review included forthright and candid conversation and extensive research and evaluations – both from within Scouting and from outside the organization. The committee’s work and conclusion is that this policy reflects the beliefs and perspectives of the BSA’s members, thereby allowing Scouting to remain focused on its mission and the work it is doing to serve more youth.    “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,” said Bob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive, Boy Scouts of America. “While a majority of our membership agrees with our policy, we fully understand that no single policy will accommodate the many diverse views among our membership or society.”

Following the recommendation to affirm the BSA’s membership policy, the executive committee of the BSA National Executive Board released the following statement: “Scouting believes that good people can personally disagree on this topic and still work together to achieve the life-changing benefits to youth through Scouting. While not all Board members may personally agree with this policy, and may choose a different direction for their own organizations, BSA leadership agrees this is the best policy for the organization and supports it for the BSA.” Resolutions asking the BSA both to affirm and reconsider this policy have been raised throughout the years. With any resolution, regardless of subject, the BSA may or may not refer it to a committee for review or may immediately determine no further action is necessary.

About the Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts of America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.™” The Scouting organization is composed of 2.7 million youth members between the ages of 7 and 21 and more than a million volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, please visit www.scouting.org.

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