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| Boy Scouts postpone vote on lifting long-standing ban on gay members | Boy Scouts postpone vote on lifting long-standing ban on gay members |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The Boy Scouts of America's ban on gay members will continue until at least May after the organisation said it "needs more time" before reviewing its policy. | The Boy Scouts of America's ban on gay members will continue until at least May after the organisation said it "needs more time" before reviewing its policy. |
| A spokesman for the BSA's national executive board had previously indicated it could vote on Wednesday to overturn the longstanding policy prohibiting openly gay people serving as members or leaders. | A spokesman for the BSA's national executive board had previously indicated it could vote on Wednesday to overturn the longstanding policy prohibiting openly gay people serving as members or leaders. |
| The proposed new policy would have left decisions on gay membership to local organisations. But instead the BSA issued a statement just after 11am saying it would delay its verdict. | The proposed new policy would have left decisions on gay membership to local organisations. But instead the BSA issued a statement just after 11am saying it would delay its verdict. |
| "After careful consideration and extensive dialogue within the Scouting family, along with comments from those outside the organization, the volunteer officers of the Boy Scouts of America's national executive board concluded that due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs time for a more deliberate review of its membership policy," the statement said. | "After careful consideration and extensive dialogue within the Scouting family, along with comments from those outside the organization, the volunteer officers of the Boy Scouts of America's national executive board concluded that due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs time for a more deliberate review of its membership policy," the statement said. |
| "To that end, the national executive board directed its committees to further engage representatives of Scouting's membership and listen to their perspectives and concerns. This will assist the officers' work on a resolution on membership standards. The approximately 1,400 voting members of the national council will take action on the resolution at the national annual meeting in May 2013." | "To that end, the national executive board directed its committees to further engage representatives of Scouting's membership and listen to their perspectives and concerns. This will assist the officers' work on a resolution on membership standards. The approximately 1,400 voting members of the national council will take action on the resolution at the national annual meeting in May 2013." |
| The BSA had come under pressure from both sides of the debate. On Monday, the conservative Family Research Council and 41 "allied organisations" ran an ad in USA Today urging the BSA not to "surrender to financial or political pressures by corporate elites on the issue of homosexuality". | The BSA had come under pressure from both sides of the debate. On Monday, the conservative Family Research Council and 41 "allied organisations" ran an ad in USA Today urging the BSA not to "surrender to financial or political pressures by corporate elites on the issue of homosexuality". |
| "Every Scout takes an oath to keep himself 'morally straight'. The Boy Scouts have every right to include sexual conduct in how they define that term," the ad said. | "Every Scout takes an oath to keep himself 'morally straight'. The Boy Scouts have every right to include sexual conduct in how they define that term," the ad said. |
| Texas governor Rick Perry, who wrote a book about scouting called On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts Are Worth Fighting For, and fellow presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who has made a series of controversial statements about homosexuality, were among those pressuring the BSA to maintain its ban. | Texas governor Rick Perry, who wrote a book about scouting called On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts Are Worth Fighting For, and fellow presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who has made a series of controversial statements about homosexuality, were among those pressuring the BSA to maintain its ban. |
| Had the BSA voted to overturn its policy on gay membership it would be seen as the latest victory for equality in the US. | Had the BSA voted to overturn its policy on gay membership it would be seen as the latest victory for equality in the US. |
| Barack Obama, who as president is also the honorary president of the BSA, weighed in on the debate this week, telling CBS that "that gays and lesbians should have access and opportunity the same way everybody else does in every institution and walk of life". | Barack Obama, who as president is also the honorary president of the BSA, weighed in on the debate this week, telling CBS that "that gays and lesbians should have access and opportunity the same way everybody else does in every institution and walk of life". |
| Two high-profile BSA board members – Ernst & Young CEO James Turley and AT&T Inc CEO Randall Stephenson – both run companies with non-discrimination policies, and both men have said they would work from within to change the policy. | Two high-profile BSA board members – Ernst & Young CEO James Turley and AT&T Inc CEO Randall Stephenson – both run companies with non-discrimination policies, and both men have said they would work from within to change the policy. |
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