Maryland Scouts Prep for Possible End of Gay Ban
Troops around the state react to news that Boy Scouts of America may drop membership prohibitions against gay scouts, leaders.
By Rashee Raj Kumar - Capital News Service COLLEGE PARK - When the Boy Scouts of America announced this week that it was considering changing its longstanding ban on openly gay scouts and troop leaders, it came as a surprise to many Maryland scouts, especially Cub Scout Pack 442 in Cloverly. Last month, regional scouting officials threatened to revoke Pack 442’s charter unless it removed a non-discrimination statement from its website that did not specifically exclude gays from participating. Since 1991, the Boy Scouts of America has prevented local troops from making their own decisions about admitting gay scouts and leaders. The position put the scouts, founded in 1910, at the center of a cultural war that led to a handful of U.S. …
