\u201cWe\u2019re very excited for the Boy Scouts, and we\u2019re very proud of them for having made this decision,\u201d Justin Wilson, executive director of Scouts for Equality, told Yahoo News. \u201cI think that it\u2019s really important, not only because of the policy change itself, but the speed with which it happened shows that the Boy Scouts is now becoming an organization that is ready and willing to adapt to society as it changes. And that gives me great hope that they are going to remain a relevant and strong force in America for many years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several of President Trump\u2019s Cabinet nominations have ties with the Boy Scouts: Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. (chosen for attorney general), and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (approved for energy secretary) are both Eagle Scouts.<\/p>\n
Most notably, former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson (picked for secretary of state) also achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, became president of the Boy Scouts of America, and reportedly supported ending the ban on gay scouts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Boy Scouts are an iconic American institution, and it\u2019s no surprise that people working at the highest levels of government have a lot of experience in the Boy Scouts, especially for an administration that\u2019s so male-heavy,\u201d Zacharia Wahls, a co-founder of Scouts for Equality, told Yahoo News.<\/p>\n
\u201cRick Perry was very publicly opposed to the Boy Scouts including gay members when that fight was happening in 2012 and 2013. He was a part of this big right-wing push that included Rick Santorum. But then people like Rex Tillerson were\u00a0not opposed to the policy change and even supportive.\u201d<\/p>\n
John Hamre, the president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, told the Dallas Morning News<\/a> that Tillerson lobbied internally for the Boy Scouts\u2019 board to allow openly gay boys.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t get into the intimacy of these conversations. But he agonized over this. He prayed on it, and ultimately he came to the conclusion the only thing that can guide him here is what\u2019s best for the young boys,\u201d Hamre said.<\/p>\n Still, Wahls warned against overemphasizing Tillerson\u2019s role in ending the ban: \u201cHe did lobby in favor of changing the policy, but the leadership that was involved with that process was really much more Bob Gates, Wayne Perry, Bob Mazzucco and a few other folks.\u201d<\/p>\n Former Defense Secretary Bob Gates was among those who recommended Tillerson to Trump. Gates had actually met Tillerson while serving as president of the Boy Scouts of America. They were both involved in discussions about the organization\u2019s changing membership policies, Wahls said.<\/p>\n \u201c[Tillerson] was president of the Boy Scouts from 2010 to 2012. That\u2019s the highest volunteer role in scouting,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cThat\u2019s right when those discussions [to end the ban] got started.\u201d<\/p>\n But some social conservatives have taken exception to Tillerson\u2019s role at the Boy Scouts. Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council<\/a>, criticized Trump\u2019s decision to nominate Tillerson \u2014 saying the oil executive \u201cled the charge to open the Boy Scouts to gay troop leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Left, which doesn\u2019t usually need a reason to oppose Trump\u2019s choices, won\u2019t find many here, since the ExxonMobil executive may be the greatest ally liberals have in the Cabinet for their abortion and LGBT agendas,\u201d Perkins wrote in December. \u201cThat should be particularly alarming to conservatives, who\u2019ve spent the last eight years watching the State Department lead the global parade for the slaughter of innocent unborn children and the intimidation of nations with natural views on marriage and sexuality.\u201d<\/p>\n Contrary to Perkins\u2019 statement, liberals found plenty of issues with Tillerson: most notably his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin<\/a>.<\/p>\n As president of the United States, Trump is also the honorary president<\/a> of the Boy Scouts of America. His relationship with\u00a0the LGBT community at large has been strained \u2014 stemming predominantly from his selection of Mike Pence for his vice president. Before joining Trump\u2019s team, Pence was roundly criticized by the LGBT community for his highly controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which critics denounced as discriminatory and antigay. Pence has also staked out staunchly conservative positions on a host of LGBT-related policy issues<\/a> throughout the years.<\/p>\n Trump, however, has given conflicting statements regarding his personal commitment to LGBT rights. He has variously reached out to the LGBT community, expressed support for controversial legislation like North Carolina\u2019s House Bill 2<\/a> and appeared far more concerned about other issues.<\/p>\n Despite being nominally against same-sex marriage, Trump has said that the issue is already settled<\/a>, citing the Supreme Court\u2019s\u00a0June 2015 decision<\/a> to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. He also made history in July 2016 as the first GOP presidential candidate to mention the LGBT community<\/a> while accepting the party\u2019s nomination.<\/p>\n \u201cOnly weeks ago in Orlando, Florida, 49 wonderful Americans were savagely murdered by an Islamic terrorist. This time, the terrorist targeted our LGBTQ community. No good. We are going to stop it,\u201d Trump said during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, referencing the Pulse nightclub shooting.<\/p>\n \u201cAs your president, I will do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology, believe me,\u201d Trump said to applause. He paused.<\/p>\n \u201cI have to say as a Republican, it is so nice to hear you cheering for what I just said. Thank you,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n On Tuesday morning, LGBT advocates woke up to some encouraging news. After media speculation that Trump planned to sign an executive order rolling back Obama-era protections for LGBT people in the workplace, the White House released a statement vowing that they would remain intact<\/a>. It\u2019s unclear if the administration has any additional policies it plans to put forward related to gay rights.<\/p>\n \u201cPresident Donald J. Trump is determined to protect the rights of all Americans, including the LGBTQ community,\u201d the statement reads. \u201cPresident Trump continues to be respectful and supportive of LGBTQ rights, just as he was throughout the election.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>
Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson in January 2017. (Photo: Steve Helber\/AP)<\/h5>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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President Trump (Photo: Evan Vucci\/AP)<\/h5>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n