President Barack Obama on Sunday
reiterated that the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) should end their ban
on gay scouts and leaders.
Appearing Sunday on the CBS Evening
News, Obama was asked by Scott Pelley whether the BSA should end its
ban.
“Yes,” Obama answered.
“Why so?”
“Well, because I think that … you
know, my attitude is that gays and lesbians should have access and
opportunity the same way everybody else does. In every institution
and walk of life.”
“And, you know, the Scouts are a
great institution that are promoting young people and exposing them
to opportunities and leadership that will serve people for the rest
of their lives. And I think that nobody should be barred from that.”
(The video is embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)
Obama's nod comes a day before the BSA
board is expected to consider lifting its national ban and allowing
individual organizations to decide the issue for themselves.
GLAAD President Herndon Graddick
applauded the president's remarks.
“President Obama echoes the voice of
millions of Americas, who have already spoken out against the Boy
Scouts' outdated and discriminatory policy,” Graddick
said in a blog post. “What's clear is that anti-gay
discrimination is no longer an American value, and until everyone is
welcome, the Boy Scouts will only fall further out of touch with the
growing majority of people who support equality for all.”