[emb021]

As a long-time BSA member, let me add something to this.

The BSA has not 'outlawed homosexuality'. As a private organization (and as you've noted ALL private organizations can set their membership policies), the BSA has stated that those who engage in homosexual behavior can't be members.

Please note that the US Military does the same thing.

The BSA does not ban homosexuals. They ban those homosexuals who have made it known that they engage in that behavior. The issue is the behavior.

Why?

Well, the thing is that most of the mainstream religious of this country (Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Mormon, etc) all have strong ties to the BSA. (the Methodists & Mormons are the top 2 sponsors of troops, btw). MOST if not all of these religious groups teach that homosexual behavior is immoral. (recall the recent issues about gay Catholic priests). While many in our society don't see anything wrong with homosexuals, most don't realize that their own churches are still teaching that homosexual behavior is wrong.

APO can not (and does not) do this. In fact, as a college organization, our chapters are usually bound by the policies of those universities, which would not allow this.

Are there gays in the BSA? Sure. But those people have kept that information to themselves. So long as they don't make an issue of it, there is no problem.