COLUMN: Still no merit badge for Boy Scouts on gays

It turns out the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) decided it was stumped by what I thought was a no-brainer. Rather than voting to end its ban on participation by gays and lesbians in scouting, the BSA’s national executive board punted. Not only was the vote delayed until May, but it will now be open to the 1,400-member national council. This could spell doom for the effort to make the BSA an inclusive organization open to all who want to benefit from its values, structure and camaraderie. At first blush, it appeared that the BSA was taking a page out of the playbook used by President Obama during “don’t ask, don’t tell.” When the gay community clamored for an immediate end to the shameful ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military, Obama took a more deliberate and ultimately successful path.