Obama Condemns Boy Scouts, Supports Instead Gays

President Barack Obama expressed his opposition to the Boy Scouts of America'sreaffirmation of its policy of excluding gays on Wednesday.

The president called the rule, which wasrenewed in July after a two-year review, "discrimination" in a statement to theWashington Blade.

“The President believes the Boy Scouts is a valuable organization that has helped educate and build character in American boys for more than a century,” White House spokesperson Shin Inouye said. “He also opposes discrimination in all forms, and as such opposes this policy that discriminates on basis of sexual orientation.”

The ban has been faced with opposition by some former scouts, a few of whom returned their badges in protest of the rule. Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney also expressed opposition to the ban, saying "all people should be able to participate in the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual orientation." However, recent scandals involving coaches and priests molesting boys they were put in charge of has made some parents concerned about trusting their boys to men who are  attracted to the same sex. 

Despite the opposition, the Boy Scouts' chief executive, Bob Mazzuca, said most Scout families support the policy, which applies to both adult leaders and Scouts.

The AP reported earlier:

The Scouts cited support from parents as a key reason for keeping the policy and expressed hope that the prolonged debate over it might now subside. Bitter reactions from gay-rights activists suggested that result was unlikely.

The Scouts' national spokesman, Deron Smith, told The Associated Press that an 11-member special committee, formed discreetly by top Scout leaders in 2010, came to the conclusion that the exclusion policy "is absolutely the best policy" for the 102-year-old organization.

Smith said the committee, comprised of professional scout executives and adult volunteers, was unanimous in its conclusion – preserving a long-standing policy that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000 and has remained controversial ever since.

This isn't the first time Obama has expressed his support for the LGBT community. In May 2012, he changed his position from opposing same sex marriage to supporting it. The move is credited with a flood of gay contributions toward his re-election. In June, he held a Gay Pride Month reception at the White House. See Chick's HOME ALONE.