Starting New Year’s Day Boy Scouts of America will be accepting gay members.
They are currently beginning to prepare for potential difficulties, like whether or not the Boy Scouts will march in gay pride parades. The Associated Press reports that BSA leaders are hoping that accepting gay youths into their organization will not be a huge event.
Brad Haddock, a national executive board member, said, “My hope is that there will be the same effect this Jan. 1 as the Y2K scare. It’s business as usual, nothing happens and we move forward.”
Some churches across the U.S. have stopped their support of the Boy Scouts. However, larger ties, like the Roman Catholic and Mormon churches have remained in tact.
According to Gay Star News, the decision was made in May to allow gay youths into the organization. 60 percent of the 1,400 voters passed the policy.
Gay Scouts will face some restrictions though. Like other scouts, gay scouts will not be able to present any type of social or political agenda. This includes any business about sexual orientation and gay marriage.
The Boy Scouts say that while a scout may acknowledge their sexual preference, it may not be distracting, nor are scouts allowed to march in uniform in any type of gay pride parade.
Some scout leaders, just as churches, have decided to separate dissociate themselves with the Boy Scouts after this policy has been enacted.