Jewish Leaders Protest the Exclusion of Gays from the Boy Scouts

January 13, 2001

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On January 13, 2001, The Houston Chronicle reported that "Reform Jewish leaders have recommended that parents withdraw their children from Boy Scout chapters and that synagogues end their sponsorship of Scout troops because of the group's exclusion of gays." Such exclusion is "incompatible with our consistent belief that every individual--regardless of his or her sexual orientation--is created in the image of God and is deserving of equal treatment," said the Joint Commission on Social Action. The commission urged congregations to publicize their reason for cutting ties with the Boy Scouts. "The advisory was prompted by a Supreme Court ruling in June that upheld the group's exclusion of gay leaders and members...In all, Jewish organizations sponsor 277 of the group's 123,935 troops nationwide...The Reform movement, which represents about 1,000 congregations and 40 percent of America's 6 million Jews, ordains openly gay men and women as rabbis."