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Gallup: Majority Believe Gays Can Adopt But Not Lead Boy Scouts

  • Religion Today Religious persecution, missions, Christianity around the world
  • Updated Dec 19, 2012

A Gallup poll shows strong majorities of Americans favor a broad range of rights for gays and lesbians, including adopting children, but a slim majority also say gays should not be Boy Scout leaders, the Christian Post reports. Sixty-one percent of respondents said gays and lesbians should be able to legally adopt children, but when asked "Do you think the Boy Scouts of America should or should not allow openly gay adults to serve as Boy Scout leaders?" 52 percent answered that gays should not be allowed to serve as Boy Scout leaders. Forty-two percent said gays should be allowed to be Boy Scout leaders, and 36 percent said gays and lesbians should not be allowed to adopt children. Given the lack of polling on the Boy Scouts question, there is no way to tell whether there is a trend in favor of or in opposition to gay leaders, noted Gallup's Frank Newport. Also unclear, Newport added, is whether the respondents were showing support for allowing a private organization to decide who holds its own leadership positions. The Boy Scouts announced in July that, after a two-year review, the organization would continue its policy of not allowing gays to become members, volunteers or leaders.