The Boy Scouts of America ruled in favor of allowing gay Scout members on Thursday. With a vote of 61-38, the organization overturned its longstanding tradition of rejecting Scouts on the basis of sexual orientation.
“Today, following this review, the most comprehensive listening exercise in Scouting’s history the approximate 1,400 voting members of the Boy Scouts of America’s National Council approved a resolution to remove the restriction denying membership to you on the basis of sexual orientation alone,” the organization announced in a statement released on its website.
Still, the organization will maintain its ban on gay adult members. Additionally, many right wing groups have threatened to pull endorsements from the organization. However, the news brought much joy to many gay and more liberal-minded Scouts.
“Proud, happy and on top of the world,” Pascal Tessier, a Scout from Maryland who is gay, told Yahoo News.
The decision comes after months of speculation and after very public incidents involving the exclusion of gay members in the organization. In October, Ryan Andresen, a Scout from California, was denied his Eagle Scout award because he was gay. Last July, Jennifer Tyrrell was removed from her position of being a den mother because she was a lesbian.