Boy Scout Leaders Could Lose Memberships for March in Gay Pride Parade

Three weeks after the Boy Scouts of America voted to continue its ban on gay scout leaders, two Utah scout leaders were warned by council members of the BSA that they face potential banishment from the organization for their participation in a Utah Pride Parade earlier this month.

Boy Scout troop leaders Peter Brownstein and Neil Whitaker marched in the June 2 parade, with Whitaker in uniform, despite warnings from the organization that such a move would violate the group's policy against promoting political agendas.

"We were very disappointed that you used Scouting to advance the gay agenda at the Utah Pride Parade," council leaders wrote to Brownstein. "You and others are welcome to participate in the parade as supportive citizens but not as uniformed members of the BSA."

Whitaker disagreed with the leaders' opinion, telling The Salt Lake Tribune, "We weren’t rallying for a politician or political event."

"To me” he added, “it was being supportive of my fellow human beings."

Whitaker and his Scouts wore their uniforms during the march, but Brownstein did not, which apparently confused BSA council members, who thought that he had.

Both Whitaker and Brownstein refused to sign a letter apologizing for their actions; the letter also warned that another offense could lead to the revocation of their Scouting membership.

[Associated Press/ABC News/Image via AP]

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