Boy Scouts of America Membership Controversies

Boy Scouts Of America Membership Controversies

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA), one of the largest private youth organizations in the United States, has policies which prohibit atheists, agnostics and "open or avowed" homosexual people from membership in its Scouting program as directly violating its fundamental principles and tenets. BSA has denied or revoked membership status or leadership positions for violation of these foundational principles.

The BSA contends that these policies are essential in its mission to instill in young people the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

The organization's legal right to have these policies has been upheld repeatedly by both state and federal courts. In Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, the Supreme Court of the United States has affirmed that as a private organization, the BSA can set its own membership standards. The BSA's policies have been legally challenged but have not been found to constitute illegal discrimination; as a private organization in the United States the BSA has the right to freedom of association, as determined in the court case. In recent years, the policy disputes have led to litigation over the terms under which the BSA can access governmental resources including public lands.

The policies have led to various disputes and controversies. In 2012, both President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney stated that they oppose the ban on gay Scouts.