Boy Scouts of America membership controversies

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA), one of the largest private youth organizations in the United States, has policies which prohibit those who are not willing to subscribe to the BSA's Declaration of Religious Principle, which has been interpreted by some as banning atheists,^[1] and, until January 2014, prohibited all "known or avowed homosexuals", from membership in its Scouting program.^[2] The ban on adults who are "open or avowed homosexuals"^[3] from leadership positions was lifted in July 2015.^[4]

The BSA had contended that its policies were essential in its mission to instill in young people the values of the Scout Promise, or Oath, and Scout Law.^[1][5] The organization's legal right to have these policies was upheld by the United States Supreme Court. In Boy Scouts of America v. Dale (2000), the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed that as a private organization, the BSA can set its own membership standards. The BSA's policies have been legally challenged but have not been found to constitute discrimination because as a private organization in the United States, the BSA has the right to freedom of association,^[6] as determined in the court case.^[7] In recent years, the policy disputes have led to litigation over the terms under which the BSA can access governmental resources, including public lands.

These policies have led to various disputes and controversies. On May 23, 2013, the BSA's National Council approved a resolution to remove the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone effective January 1, 2014. BSA removed a similar restriction for adult leaders on July 27, 2015.^[8]