OR-Sen: Jeff Merkley (D) & Sherrod Brown (D. OH) Urge Boy Scouts To Allow Gay Members

DailyKos:

Former Eagle Scouts, Senators Jeff Merkley (D. OR) & Sherrod Brown (D. OH) are working to get the Boy Scouts of America to start accepting openly gay members: http://www.buzzfeed.com/... WASHINGTON — As the Boy Scouts of America consider ending the organizational ban on gay scouts and leaders, two senators — both Eagle Scouts — sent a letter to the group's head asking the organization "to adopt inclusive membership and leadership policies that will allow for all Americans to participate in the Boy Scouts."

Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon noted the experience and skills they gained through Boy Scouts in the letter, provided to BuzzFeed on Monday evening. The pair told Wayne Brock, the chief scout executive, "We urge you to pursue a path which recognizes that all Americans should be welcomed into the Scouting family, regardless of sexual orientation."

Although both senators have publicly expressed their opposition to the policy in the past, this is the first time either one has approached the Boy Scouts directly urging a change to the policy. - BuzzFeed, 2/5/13 Here's the letter Merkley and Brown sent to Wayne Brock:

President Obama has also come out in favor of the Boy Scouts ending their ban on gay members:

Merkley and Brown have earned the praise of fellow Eagle Scout, Zach Wahls, who is also the founder of Scouts for Equality:

"As they wrote so eloquently in their letter and as the BSA's honorary president, Mr. Obama, said over the weekend, Scouting should be home to all who will abide its code, live its lessons and are willing to blaze a trail. We hope the BSA will heed the advice two of its most distinguished alumni have to offer," Wahls said of Brown and Merkley's letter. - BuzzFeed, 2/5/13 As a former Boy Scout, I am proud to see Senators Merkley and Brown play a role in getting the Boy Scouts to become more tolerant and accepting.  Thank you Senators.  Merkley is up for re-election next year and Brown will surely be targeted by the GOP again in 2018.  Lets keep both men in the Senate:

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