Boy Scouts of America finally reconsider antigay policies after yet another PR disaster and 50+ financial aid cutoffs

Last week the BSA (Boy Scouts of America) bullied Maryland Troop 442 into removing a nondiscrimination notice on its web site by threatening to yank the troop's charter. It prevailed, only to be hammered by another round of national disgust, distilled smartly by GLAAD President Herndon Graddick in Mother Jones magazine:

     To think that the Boy Scouts would rather cast out elementary school children than accept a parent-approved policy allowing gay children and parents to participate is just unconscionable. How many young Scouts is the BSA willing to sacrifice in order to preserve its harmful and discriminatory policies? This despicable act of bullying and intimidation is yet another reminder that the BSA is out of touch with its members and the American public at large.

Below: earlier this month Bay Area BSA officials issued a gag order to stiff-arm media inquiries about denial of Eagle Scout award to gay scout Ryan Andreson:



Now, Pete Williams of NBC reports that the organization "is actively considering an end to its decades-long policy of banning gay scouts or scout leaders."

     Two corporate CEOs on BSA’s national board, Randall Stephenson of AT&T and James Turley of Ernst & Young, have also said they would work to end the ban. Stephenson is next in line to be the BSA’s national chairman. During the 2012 presidential campaign, both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney said the BSA should admit gay scouts and scout leaders.
     About 50 local United Way groups and several corporations and charities have concluded that the ban violates their non-discrimination requirements and have ceased providing financial aid to the Boy Scouts.