Boy Scouts of America membership controversies

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA), the largest youth organization in the United States, has policies which prohibit or restrict certain people from membership and participation. Some of these membership policies are controversial and have resulted in the dismissal of Scouts and adult Scout leaders from the BSA or a Scouting unit for being an atheist, agnostic, or homosexual.^[1]

The Boy Scouts of America and its supporters contend that these policies are essential in its mission "to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law".^[2][3] Critics believe that some or all of these policies are wrong and discriminatory.^[4][5]

The organization's right to set such policies has been upheld repeatedly by both state and federal courts. Moreover, in 2000, the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed that the Boy Scouts of America is a private organization which can set its own membership standards. In recent years, the policy disputes have led to litigation over the terms under which the BSA can access governmental resources including public lands.^[6]

In addition to excluding gays and atheists, the BSA does not allow girls to participate in some Scouting programs, and this too has been a source of controversy.

Scout Oath
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Law
A Scout is: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

Boy Scouts of America's values affect membership criteria

According to its mission statement, the Boy Scouts of America seeks "to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law".^[2] All members are required, as a condition of membership, to promise to uphold and obey both of these pledges.^[7] The texts of the BSA's Scout Oath and Scout Law have remained unchanged since they were approved in 1911.^[8]

Religion has been an integral part of the international Scouting movement since its inception. As early as 1908, Scouting founder Baden-Powell wrote in the first Scout handbook that “No man is much good unless he believes in God and obeys His laws. So every Scout should have a religion."^[9] The World Organization of the Scout Movement with few exceptions, requires all member National Scout Organizations, including the BSA, to reference "duty to God" in their respective Scout promise (words such as "my religion" or "Dharma" are sometimes used instead of the word "God").^[10] In Cub Scouting, Cub Scouts working on the Bear rank must complete a requirement about their faith although they, like Boy Scouts, are not required to adhere to an organized religion.^[11]

Religious organizations have developed and administer denomination-specific religious emblems programs to encourage their members to grow stronger in their faith. A religious emblem can be worn on the Scout uniform if the emblem program has been approved by the BSA and the Scout has completed the program requirements.^[12]

Officials from various religious organizations -- including the denominations of Mormon, Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian -- sit on the BSA National Executive Board, its Advisory Council, and the BSA Religious Relationships Committee. These churches host/sponsor over 60% of the Scouting units in the United States and use the Scouting program as part of their youth ministry; most have organizations dedicated to Scouting, such as the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, Lutheran Association for Scouters, and National Association of Presbyterian Scouters.^[13]

In reciting the Scout Oath, a Scout promises to be "morally straight" and to do their "duty to God"; the Scout Law holds that a Scout is "clean" and "reverent". As early as 1978, the Boy Scouts of America circulated a memorandum among national executive staff explicitly stating that they held the Scout Oath and Law to be incompatible with homosexuality.^[14] Similarly, since at least 1985, the BSA has explicitly interpreted the Scout Oath and Law as being incompatible with agnosticism and atheism.^[15] In both instances, the organization asserted that it was not a "new policy" to expel atheists and gays -- rather, the BSA argued it was just enforcing long-held policies which had never been published or publicly challenged.^[16]

Position on atheists and agnostics

The Boy Scouts of America's position is that agnostics and atheists cannot participate as Scouts (youth members) or Scouters (BSA registered adult leader volunteers and salaried employees). According to the Bylaws of the BSA:

"The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, ‘On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law.’ The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members."^[3]

The BSA believes that an atheist or agnostic is not an appropriate role model of the Scout Oath and Law for boys and thus will not accept such adults as leaders. The Boy Scouts of America prohibits youths and adults who do not agree to the Scout Oath, which includes the provision of doing one's "duty to God".

Position on homosexuals

Since 1981, openly-gay adults have been officially prohibited from joining the Boy Scouts of America.^[17] The BSA "believes that a known or avowed homosexual is not an appropriate role model of the Scout Oath and Law".^[18]

The language used to describe the BSA's policies on homosexuals has evolved over time. Prior to 2004, the policy explicitly stated:

"We do not allow for the registration of avowed homosexuals as members or as leaders of the BSA."^[19]

In 2004, the BSA composed a new statement that elaborates on the policy:

"Boy Scouts of America believes that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the obligations in the Scout Oath and Scout Law to be morally straight and clean in thought, word, and deed. The conduct of youth members must be in compliance with the Scout Oath and Law, and membership in Boy Scouts of America is contingent upon the willingness to accept Scouting’s values and beliefs."^[18]

The BSA has stated in a press release that, "Boy Scouting makes no effort to discover the sexual orientation of any person."^[20] BSA application forms for youth membership and adult leadership positions do not inquire about the applicants' sexual orientation and do not mention the BSA's policies regarding homosexuals.^[21] BSA local councils and Scouting units are required to adhere to National Council policies as a condition of their charters;^[22] however, there is inconsistency in the way some have interpreted and implemented official policy on homosexuality.

Several local councils have stated that they have implemented the policy in a way that is similar to the U.S. Armed Forces' "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.^[23] In this view, homosexuals should be allowed to remain members as long as they do not disclose their sexual orientation, and the BSA should not question or investigate their sexual orientation.

There is, however, disagreement as to whether "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is consistent with National Council's official policy.^[24][25] There have been reports of practices which are quite different from "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". These reports include instances of Scouting leaders questioning a member about their sexual orientation, sometimes resulting in their expulsion.^[26] In 2005, a high-level employee of BSA was fired by National Council after the organization somehow obtained a copy of his bill from a gay resort at which he had vacationed.^[27]

Position on gender

According to the BSA, "The Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs were designed to meet the emotional, psychological, physical, and other needs of boys between the ages of 8 and 14."^[28]

Scouting membership policies

The Boys Scouts of America has been a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) since 1922. WOSM does not require its member National Scout Organizations to adhere to the same membership criteria and therefore the membership policies of the BSA and other Scouting organizations may differ. For example, homosexuals are not restricted from membership or leadership positions in Scouts Canada and most European associations, including The Scout Association of the United Kingdom, Ring deutscher Pfadfinderverbände of Germany (German Scout Federation), or the Swedish Guide and Scout Association; all are WOSM members.^[29][30]

"Duty to God" is a principle of worldwide Scouting; however, Scouting organizations in different nations apply it differently to their membership policies. The Boy Scouts of America takes a strong position, excluding atheists. The United Kingdom Scout Association does have a requirement that adult leaders acknowledge a higher power, but does not necessarily exclude atheists from roles in Scouting as long as the local Commissioner is satisfied that the applicant leader will support the values of Scouting and the investigation of faith by the young people in the movement. Scouts Canada defines "duty to God" broadly in terms of "adherence to spiritual principles" and does not have any explicit policy excluding non-theists.^[31]

The membership policies of Scouting organizations also vary regarding the inclusion of girls, see Coeducational Scouting.

Litigation over the membership policies

The Boy Scouts of America has been involved in a number of lawsuits challenging its membership, leadership, and employment standards.^[32] Some of the lawsuits dealt with the BSA's standards that require Scouts and Scouters to believe in God and not be homosexual, and the exclusion of girls from membership.^[3][18][33]

There has been some opposition to single-sex membership programs and organizations in the United States including the programs of the BSA.^[34] The Boy Scouts of America admits only boys to its Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs although girls age 14 and older may join Venturing. Several lawsuits involving girls seeking admission to the BSA resulted in court rulings that the BSA is not required to admit girls.^[28]

During the 1980s and 1990s, there were several high-profile lawsuits in which individuals asked the courts to require the BSA to include gays or atheists. In 1981, Tim Curran, an openly-gay adult volunteer, sued asking that he be included in the Scouting program (see Curran v. Mount Diablo Council).^[35] In 1991, twin brothers William and Michael Randall, who had been expelled for refusing to swear a "duty to God", sued to be allowed to participate in the program (see Randall v. Orange County Council).^[36] In addition, there were at least five or six other lawsuits involving basically the same issue.^[37] Ultimately, the Boy Scouts of America won every case.

In the wake of these rulings, the right of the BSA to set their own membership standards has been firmly established. The Courts have repeatedly held that the Boys Scouts of America, and all private organizations, have a right to set membership standards under the First Amendment protected concept of freedom of association. In particular, in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that the BSA's right to freedom of association gave them the authority to expel a gay assistant Scoutmaster.^[8]

Since the Supreme Court's ruling, the focus of lawsuits has shifted to challenging the BSA's relationship with governments in light of their membership policies. A number of lawsuits have been filed by or with the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union over issues such as BSA recruiting in public schools and government association with the BSA. Some lawsuits deal with the conditions under which the BSA is allowed to access governmental resources.^[38]

Governmental sponsorship of Scouting units

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has taken legal action to stop governmental organizations from serving as the chartered organizations (sponsors) of Scouting units. The U.S. Department of Defense announced in 2004 that it would end direct sponsorship of Scouting units in response to a religious discrimination lawsuit brought by the ACLU (stemming from the BSA's exclusion of atheists).^[39] The BSA agreed in 2005 to transfer all charters it had issued to governmental entities to private entities in response to a request from the ACLU.^[40] Previously, about 400 Scouting units had been sponsored by U.S. military bases and over 10,000 by other governmental entities, primarily public schools.^[41]

Access to governmental resources

The conditions under which the Boy Scouts of America can access public and nonpublic governmental resources have become controversial and have resulted in litigation.^[42] Historically, the BSA (and the Girl Scouts of the USA) have often been granted preferential access to governmental resources such as lands and facilities.

When a private organization such as the BSA receives access on terms more favorable than other private organizations, it is known as "special" or "preferential" access whereas "equal" access is access on the same terms. For example, state and local governments may lease property to nonprofit groups (such as the BSA) on terms that are preferential to or equal to the terms they offer to commercial groups, in other words they may give nonprofit groups either special or equal access. Special access includes access at a reduced fee (including no fee) or access to places off-limits to other groups. The categorization of access as "special" or "equal" is not always clear-cut.

Some cities, counties, and states have ordinances or policies that limit government support for organizations that practice some types of discrimination. Since the BSA's membership policies may sometimes be contrary to these laws, some government organizations have moved to change the terms under which the BSA is allowed to access its resources. Private individuals have filed lawsuits to prevent governmental entities from granting what they see as preferential access.^[43] The BSA on the other hand has sued governmental entities for denying what it sees as equal access.^[38]

In response to these changes and litigation, the federal government passed laws mandating the BSA's equal access to local and state level governmental resources. The Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act, enacted in 2002, requires public elementary and secondary schools that receive U.S. Department of Education funding to provide BSA groups equal access to school facilities.^[44] The Support our Scouts Act of 2005 requires state and local governments that receive HUD funding to provide BSA groups equal access to governmental forums (lands, facilities, etc.). State and local governments still have flexibility regarding the provision of special access to the BSA.^[45]

Recent litigation

• In July 2003, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling that upheld a decision by a U.S. Disctrict Judge that excluded the BSA from an annual workplace charitable campaign run by the state of Connecticut because of the BSA's policy on homosexuals. In March 2004, the United States Supreme Court declined to review the case.^[46]

• In March 2006, the California Supreme Court ruled in Evans v. Berkeley that the City of Berkeley did not have to continue to subsidize a local BSA unit, the Sea Scouts.^[47] On October 16 2006, the United States Supreme Court refused to review Evans v. Berkeley.^[48]

• In September 2006, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that recruiting by BSA in public schools did not violate the state's nondiscrimination laws.^[49]

• The US District Court's ruling against the BSA on the terms under which the City of San Diego leases public land to the BSA is being appealed (see Barnes-Wallace v. Boy Scouts of America).

• The U.S. Army gives the BSA special access to a base, Fort A.P. Hill, for its national Scout jamboree and the U.S. Department of Defense spends approximately $2 million per year in taxpayer funds to assist the BSA in staging it. There is pending litigation on the issue of whether the federal government's support of the national Scout jamboree is constitutional (see Winkler v. Rumsfeld).^[38][50]

Opposition to Boy Scouts of America's membership policies

Many groups and individuals oppose the BSA's membership policies. Perhaps the most vocal opponent of the policies has been the American Civil Liberties Union, which has filed and assisted others in filing several lawsuits against the Boy Scouts of America. A few members of the U.S. Congress have also spoken out against the BSA's policies.^[51]

Some within the Scouting movement, as well as long-time Scouting supporters, parents, chartered organizations, and religious organizations have expressed opposition to the policies in a variety of ways, ranging from protest actions to starting alternative organizations that advocate inclusiveness. Some advocate for change from within, while others disassociate themselves from the BSA or urge others to do so.

According to an internal BSA poll, about 30% of Scout parents do not support excluding gays.^[52] Since the Dale decision, some Eagle Scouts (about 100) have returned their Eagle Scout badges to the BSA in protest.^[53][54] In 2001, the National Council "revoked the charter of several Cub Scout packs in Oak Park, Ill., because the sponsors, a parent-teacher group, adhered to a nondiscrimination policy."^[22] Also in 2001, nine local councils requested permission to sign certain nondiscrimination statements, but were denied by the National Council.^[22] Since then, at least one council in New Jersey has signed such a statement.^[55]

A number of former Scouts and leaders have formed organizations that advocate the inclusion of gays and atheists. In 1991, William Boyce Mueller, a former Cub Scout and grandson of original Boy Scouts of America founder William Dickson Boyce, founded a group of gay former Scouts called "The Forgotten Scouts".^[56] Scouting for All was founded by Scouter Dave Rice and others in 1993 to promote tolerance and diversity within the BSA.^[57] The Coalition for Inclusive Scouting is another such organization.^[58]

Eagle Scout filmmaker Steven Spielberg had been a long-time supporter of Scouting, depicting a young Indiana Jones as a Boy Scout in the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In 2001, Spielberg resigned from the BSA's advisory board in protest, saying, "it has deeply saddened me to see the Boy Scouts of America actively and publicly participating in discrimination."^[59]

The Unitarian Universalist Association has vocally opposed the BSA's membership exclusions. This dispute ultimately led to a controversial dissolution of any ties between the two organizations (see below). In 2001, the Union for Reform Judaism's Commission on Social Action, citing a commitment to ending discrimination in all forms, issued a memorandum recommending that congregations stop hosting BSA troops and that parents withdraw their children from all of the Boy Scouts of America's programs.^[60] Additionally, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ issued a statement urging the BSA to change policy and stated that, "Discrimination against anyone based on sexual orientation is contrary to our understanding of the teachings of Christ."^[61]

Loss of funding and preferential land access

Some private institutions have severed their ties to the BSA as a result of their membership policies. About 50 local United Ways, including those in Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle, have withdrawn all funding.^[62] The BSA has also lost all funding from several large corporations that used to be regular donors, such as Chase Manhattan Bank, Levi Strauss, Wells Fargo, Fleet Bank, and CVS/pharmacy.^[62] In another case, Pew Charitable Trusts, which had consistently supported the BSA for over fifty years, decided to cancel a $100,000 donation and cease any future donations.^[62] A number of public entities (including the cities of Chicago, San Diego, Tempe, Buffalo Grove, Berkeley, and Santa Barbara, as well as the states of California, Illinois, and Connecticut) have canceled major charitable donations (of money or preferential land access) that had historically been granted to the Scouts.^[62][63][64]

Expulsion for advocating a change in policy

In 1998, the Boy Scouts of America removed Scouter Dave Rice, co-founder of Scouting for All, for "involving Scouting youth" in his effort to have the BSA policy on homosexuality changed. Rice, who is not gay, insists he obeyed all rules and guidelines and that he never misused his leadership status or promoted an agenda during troop meetings. He maintains that the Boy Scouts of America violated their own rules by summarily dismissing him without granting him a chance to present evidence to a regional review board (as is required by the organization's own "Procedures for Maintaining Standards of Membership").^[65][66]

Scouting and youth organizations with different policies

There are Scouting organizations with membership policies that stand in contrast to those of the Boy Scouts of America. Homosexuals are not restricted from membership or leadership positions in Scouts Canada or most European associations, for example The Scout Association of the United Kingdom, Ring deutscher Pfadfinderverbände of Germany (German Scout Federation), or the Swedish Guide and Scout Association; all are members of World Organization of the Scout Movement, the same international Scouting organization that the Boy Scouts of America belongs to.^[67][68] The Girl Scouts of the USA also does not exclude homosexuals and allows its members to substitute another word in place of "God" when reciting the Girl Scout Promise.^[69] Other American youth organizations do not have policies that exclude homosexuals and atheists, such as Camp Fire USA, SpiralScouts International, Star Scouting America[1], 4-H, and the BSA's Learning for Life program.^[70]

These youth organizations have less restrictive membership criteria than the BSA because they have determined it is not justified and/or because it is against the law in their country. Some of these organizations have criticized the BSA's membership policies.^[71][72] Other critics use these organizations as an example in attempting to disprove the BSA's claim that Scouting values, and the needs of youth organizations in general, require the exclusion of atheists and/or homosexuals.^[73]

Support for the Boy Scouts of America

In response to the membership controversy and subsequent litigation, there have been a number of expressions of support for the BSA organization, program, or policies:

Support from within Scouting

A number of people within the Boy Scouts of America have voiced strong and unequivocal support for the policies. In 2002, the National Executive Board of Boy Scouts of America reiterated its support for the policies and affirmed that "the Boy Scouts of America shall continue to follow its traditional values and standards of leadership".^[74] Also in 2002, a group of current and former members of the BSA created the group Save Our Scouts in order "to support and defend the principles of the Scout Oath and Law".^[75]

Columnist Hans Zeiger, an Eagle Scout, has founded the Scout Honor Coalition, a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting the policies.^[76] According to Zeiger, "Scouts' honor is under attack in American culture". Zeiger applauds what he sees as the BSA's courage in resisting political pressure to admit gays, saying, "Regardless of what leads to homosexuality, it is a thing that has an agenda in our society and is very harmful to the traditional family and is causing a tremendous amount of harm to young men. The Boy Scouts are one of the few organizations that have the moral sense to stand against the homosexual agenda".^[77]

The American Heritage Girls is a Scouting organization that provides an alternative to the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA). American Heritage Girls' policies on gays and atheists are similar to those held by the BSA though it is, unlike the BSA or GSUSA, an explicitly Christian organization. It was formed by parents who were unhappy that GSUSA accepted lesbians as troop leaders, allowed girls to substitute a word more applicable to their belief for the word "God" in the Girl Scout Promise, and allegedly banned prayer at meetings.

Support from government

President Bush addresses the 2005 National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia.

The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed resolutions in support of the Boy Scouts of America. In November 2004, the House passed a resolution, by a vote of 391 to 3, recognizing "the Boy Scouts of America for the public service the organization performs".^[78] Then, in February 2005, the House passed a resolution by a vote of 418 to 7, stating that "the Department of Defense should continue to exercise its long-standing statutory authority to support the activities of the BSA, in particular the periodic national and world Scout jamborees."^[79]

The U.S. Congress has twice passed bills directly affecting the governmental resources access controversy. In 2001, the U.S. Congress passed the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act, which encouraged the BSA's access to educational facilities. In July 2005, the Senate voted 98 to 0 in favor of the Support Our Scouts Act, enacted in December 2005, which encourages both governmental support of the Boy Scouts in general and federal support of the national Scout jamboree.

Sen Bill Frist, one of the sponsors of the Support Our Scouts Acts, spoke highly of the BSA, saying:

"This unique American institution is committed to preparing our youth for the future by instilling in them values such as honesty, integrity, and character."

Of the Act, Frist explained:

"This legislation will allow the Boy Scouts to fulfill its mission without the distraction of defending itself against senseless attacks."^[80]

In August 2005, President George W. Bush addressed the National Scout Jamboree and, although he did not directly discuss the controversies, reiterated his support for the organization. At the Jamboree, Bush commended the Scouts for upholding "values that build strong families, strong communities, and strong character" and said that the Scouts' values "are the values of America."^[81]

On October 4 2006, the House passed the Public Expression of Religion Act of 2006 (PERA, HR 2679). If the bill becomes law, it will limit the awarding of attorneys fees by a court in cases involving the establishment clause and will affect cases challenging governmental support of the Boy Scouts of America among others.^[82]

Support from others

A wide range of individuals, commentators, and conservative groups spoke out in support of the Boy Scouts of America. The BSA legal website provides a list of editorials written in their support.^[83] In addition, a conservative civil libertarian group, the American Civil Rights Union, set up the Scouting Legal Defense Fund, and routinely helped with lawsuits.^[84] In a legal brief filed in support of the BSA, the American Civil Rights Union argued that "To label [the BSA's membership policies] discriminatory and exclusionary, and a civil rights violation, is an assault on the very freedom of American citizens to advance, promote, and teach traditional moral values."^[85]

One online petition, which had received over 375,000 electronic signatures, showed support for the Scouts from those who are "deeply troubled by the recent attacks which have come against the Boy Scouts simply because the Scouts have taken a stand for faith and moral values." The petition further asserted that, "As a private organization, the Boy Scouts has every right to set standards for leadership and morality."^[86]

A number of religious organizations, particularly those in the United States, regard homosexuality as immoral (see Homosexuality and religion). Religious institutions are the chartered organizations (sponsors) of over 60% of the approximately 123,000 Scouting units in the United States.^[87][88] In general, these religious groups and their members have been strong supporters of BSA's membership policies.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a longtime supporter of the Boy Scouts of America, teaches that homosexual activity is immoral and sinful.^[89] The Church has threatened to withdraw from the Scouting program if it was ever compelled to accept openly homosexual Scout leaders.^[90][87] The Church is the largest single sponsor of Scouting units with over 30,000 units nationwide, which comprise about 13% of BSA's youth members.^[87][91]

Related issues

Membership size

BSA records show that the number of Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts has dropped in recent years.^[92][93] It is unclear why membership has dropped and whether the membership policy controversy has had an effect on membership levels. Scouts Canada, which has less restrictive membership policies, has also experienced a substantial membership decline.^[94]

During the same time period, membership increased in other youth organizations, such as the Girl Scouts of the USA and the BSA's Learning for Life program.^[95] Both the US Census Bureau and the US Department of Education recorded an increase in total available youth during this time frame.^[93]

Some local councils have reported membership size numbers in excess of their actual number of members.^[96][97][98] "Volunteers say paid Scout leaders have created fictitious 'ghost units' for years to pump up membership numbers to trick donor groups and charities, including the United Way, into giving them more money."^[96] To help ensure that membership numbers are reported correctly, the BSA adopted new membership validation procedures for use beginning in 2006.^[99]

Unitarian Universalist religious emblems program

Main article: Unitarian Universalist religious emblems program

The Boy Scouts of America's stance on homosexuality and atheism has brought them into conflict with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) — a "theologically liberal" religion that lists "affirming the inherent worth and dignity of every person" as one of its central tenets.^[100]

The Boy Scouts of America recognizes and encourages various religious emblems programs, in which Cub and Boy Scouts can work with their religious leaders to earn an emblem for their individual faiths. In 1998, the BSA removed recognition of the UUA programs for Cub and Boy Scouts, feeling the UUA program "contains several statements which are inconsistent with Scouting’s values".^[101] Most of these statements expressed the UUA's disapproval of BSA's membership policies on gays and atheists.

Historical membership controversies

There were membership controversies in the past that have been resolved such as the exclusion of women from leadership positions, the break up of Exploring, and those resulting from racial segregation. See History of the Boy Scouts of America for further information.

See also

• Religion in Scouting
• Scouting controversy and conflict
• Welsh v. Boy Scouts of America

References

External links

Sites supportive of the Boy Scouts of America's policies

• Boy Scouts of America's official legal site
• Eagle Scout Rally for Tradition Foundation
• Scouting Legal Defense Fund
• Save Our Scouts

Sites critical of the Boy Scouts of America's policies

• Inclusive Scouting
• Scouting for All
• Discrimination in the Boy Scouts of America
• Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance's Webpage on the BSA

Other sites

• Definitions of Scouting terminology