Boy Scouts Gay Policy Should Be Extended to Adults, West L.A. BSA Leaders Say

A Boy Scouts of America policy change that would admit gay boys should be extended to include gay adult volunteers and staff members, the Western Los Angeles County Council of the Scouts said Tuesday. 

At issue is a non-discrimination resolution to be voted on this month by the 285 councils across the country. The current resolution states that "no youth may be denied membership … on the basis of sexual orientation.” The status of adults in scouting is not addressed.

"The resolution is a step in the right direction but does not go far enough and must be extended to all adult scout volunteers and staff," said Alan Snyder, chairman of the board for the Western Los Angeles County Council, which has a service center in West Los Angeles. "Inclusion must be all-inclusive,” he said in a news release.

Council President and attorney Nick Thomas said they have more than 5,000 adult volunteers.

"Volunteers in our council log approximately 840,000 hours of service each year and should be judged on the basis of their character, not their sexual preference," Thomas said in a statement.

The vote will decide whether the Boy Scouts of America will admit gay youths or no gays at all. The current national policy excluding openly gay adults from BSA leadership is not addressed in the resolution and would remain unchanged.

The WLACC proposes amending the document to read: "No youth or adult shall be denied membership or a position in the Boys Scouts, whether as a leader, volunteer, or staff member, solely on the basis of their sexual orientation or preference.

The Western Los Angeles County Council proposes amending the document to read: “No youth or adult shall be denied membership or a position in the Boys Scouts, whether as a leader, volunteer, or staff member, solely on the basis of their sexual orientation or preference”

- City News Service contributed to this report.