COLUMBUS—Today, Dr. Robert Gates, President of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), called on the organization to end its ban on gay adults. Gates assured that BSA would not revoke charters of local Boy Scouts chapters that disregarded the BSA’s current ban on gay adults.

This move comes shortly after Brian Peffly, a central Ohio Eagle Scout was kicked out after his sexual orientation became public.

Equality Ohio, ACLU of Ohio and the Human Rights Campaign have been working together with Brian to make this change a reality. They applaud this progress in the Boy Scouts of America and call upon the local Simon Kenton Council to reinstate Eagle Scout Brian Peffly to his full position as assistant scoutmaster.

“It’s time for Brian to be reinstated and get back to his troop,” Elyzabeth Holford, executive director of Equality Ohio said. “Thank you, Brian. Your courage and honor have shown BSA and all of us what it really means to be an Eagle Scout.”

 “Every time we have an individual or an organization standing up on the right side of history, we get a step closer to full equality for all Americans,” said Lisa Wurm, policy manager for the ACLU of Ohio. “Now it is time for Ohio’s lawmakers to receive the message and pass legislation protecting all citizens in this state against discrimination in housing and employment.”

According to Scouts for Equality, the Boy Scouts of America Resolutions Committee has referred two proposed resolutions requesting changes to the membership standards pertaining to adult gay leaders to the BSA’s Executive Committee, a standing leadership committee within the BSA’s Executive Board, the organization’s main governing body.

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