Would lifting the ban on gays change the Boy Scouts?

Written by

vote next week on whether to remove the nationwide ban on gay members and scout leaders. However, it would still be up to local units to decide whether to allow gay scouts and leaders.

“The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents,” said a spokesman for the Boy Scouts of America, Deron Smith, in a statement. “This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs.” (New York Times)

On today’s Which Way, LA? we’ll talk about the potential change, and what it means here in Los Angeles, with Victor Zuniga, field director for the Scouts’ Los Angeles Area Council; and Tim Walker, a former Eagle Scout and ex-employee of Boy Scouts of America who lives in Eagle Rock, among others.

In the meantime, if you need a refresher on the Scouts oath, check out this vintage commercial featuring a very young Christian Slater: