According to The New York Times, the Boy Scouts of America voted in favor of a new policy that ends the ban on openly-gay den leaders, scoutmasters and camp counselors. In 2013, the organization began allowing gay youth to join troops, but gay adults were put on the back burner. The new policy would make the organization accepting of all sexual orientations — sort of.
People argue that this new policy is “incomplete” because decisions are still ultimately in the hands of each individual troop. Many Boy Scout troops have religious ties, so these troops will not be forced to have homosexual leadership if it is against their faith. This policy really appeals to troops that were already accepting of the inclusion of homosexuals but were not able to put it to practice.
In recent years, the Boy Scouts have faced some major problems. Their numbers are declining, and new policies regarding gay Scouts has caused severe tension within the organization. But things are looking up. This decision is a victory to a historically conservative organization, and the Boy Scouts will likely benefit from it.