Boy Scouts of America unanimously voted to end its ban on gay scout leaders, the organization announced Monday. The president of the organization, Robert Gates, had called for the ban to be lifted back in May. The new rule is effective immediately.
"For decades, the Boy Scouts of America's ban on gay adults has stood as a towering example of explicit, institutional homophobia in one of America’s most important and recognizable civic organizations," said Zach Wahls, the executive director of Scouts for Equality. "While this policy change is not perfect — BSA's religious chartering partners will be allowed to continue to discriminate against gay adults — it is difficult to overstate the importance of today's announcement.”
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