Potential Rule Allowing Gays in the Boy Scouts Sparks Local Concern

The Boy Scouts of America’s decision later this month on whether to allow openly gay boys under the age of 18 to join the traditionally conservative organization has drawn criticism from local Boy Scout members.

Doug Boyd of Glendora told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that the potential rule change could jeopardize the safety of Boy Scouts.

“This is not about a Scout that may have gay tendencies and keeps it to himself,” Boyd, a 50-year member of the Boy Scouts, told the newspaper. “It’s about openly gay Scouts. When you let your little boy go on a camping trip, people believe that he’s going to be safe.”

Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Boy Scouts leaders and supporters gathered at 2333 Scout Way in Los Angeles Friday to protest the potential rule change. Boyd said that scouting could be “destroyed” with the inclusion of gays and could drive away most of its members by the droves.

While the Boy Scouts currently bans openly gay boys from joining the Boy Scouts, some equality advocates point out that there are still many homosexual scouts participating in the organization.

John O’Connor of Equality California was an Eagle Scout who became openly gay after high school. He told the Tribune, “The world has changed so dramatically that we have high school kids coming out, which was unheard of in my time and age. The Boy Scouts is one of the last vestiges of that discrimination and exclusion.”

If the Boy Scouts approve the rule change, the change will go into effect Jan. 1. For more on this story, click here.  

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