President Barack Obama on Friday
welcomed the Boy Scouts of America's (BSA) decision to allow openly
gay youth, but added that he hopes the BSA will not stop there.
At its annual gathering outside Dallas,
Texas, 61 percent of the roughly 1,400 volunteer leaders from
scouting's 270 councils approved a proposal put forth by the BSA to
end its ban on openly gay scouts. The resolution, which takes effect
January 1, keeps in place a ban on gay adults.
“The president welcomes the decision
by the Boy Scouts of America to open its membership to all,
regardless of sexual orientation,” White House spokesperson Shin
Inouye told the Washington
Blade. “He has long believed that the Scouts is a valuable
organization that has helped educate and build character in American
boys for more than a century.”
“He continues to believe that
leadership positions in the Scouts should be open to all, regardless
of sexual orientation.”
In an interview with CBS News' Scott
Pelley broadcast in February, Obama said scouting should be open to
all.
“[T]he 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,” Obama said.