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Two Tenn. Scout groups say they’re against proposal to allow gay scouts

Two Tenn. Scout groups say they’re against proposal to allow gay scouts

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Two Boy Scouts councils in Tennessee said Tuesday they will not support a proposal to partially lift the group’s long-standing exclusion of gays.

The Nashville-based Middle Tennessee Council of the Boy Scouts said it will vote to support the current national membership policy at the Boy Scouts of America’s annual meeting during the week of May 20 in Texas.

Later Tuesday, the Jackson-based West Tennessee Area Council said it does not support a change in the policy.

The Boy Scouts of America last month proposed a policy saying no youth may be denied membership “on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.” A ban would continue on leadership roles for adults who are openly gay or lesbian.

The current policy does not grant membership to openly gay individuals.

Hugh Travis, scout executive for the Middle Tennessee Council, said surveys have revealed that the council’s parents and leaders believe the current membership policy is a “core value of the Scout Oath and Law.”

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