Boy Scouts postpone decision: Gay ban will continue until at least May

The Boy Scouts of America national board on Wednesday delayed until May a decision on dropping a ban on LGBT members.

The board had been expected to vote on Wednesday on a policy that would have allowed local organizations to permit gay scouts and LGBT scout leaders.

"After careful consideration and extensive dialogue within the Scouting family, along with comments from those outside the organization, the volunteer officers of the Boy Scouts of America’s National Executive Board concluded that due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs time for a more deliberate review of its membership policy," the Boy Scouts of American said a statement.

"To that end, the National Executive Board directed its committees to further engage representatives of Scouting’s membership and listen to their perspectives and concerns. This will assist the officers’ work on a resolution on membership standards. The approximately 1,400 voting members of the National Council will take action on the resolution at the National Annual Meeting in May 2013."

A Quinnipiac poll released this week found that 55 percent of voters wanted the Boy Scouts to end their ban on LGBT members. At 61 percent, women were more likely than men -- at 49 percent -- to support ending the ban. Sixty-three percent of Catholics agreed with allowing gay scouts, while only 44 percent of protestants thought it was a good idea.

By a 56 percent to 33 percent margin, evangelical Protestants were the only religious group surveyed who thought the policy of discrimination should continue.

[Photo: Shutterstock / spirit of america]