Mitt Romney has reiterated that he
disagrees with the Boy Scouts of America's ban on openly gay scouts
and leaders.
The Associated Press quoted
Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul as stating in an e-mail that Romney
disagrees with the group's policy.
Saul said that the presumed GOP nominee
for president stands by his 1994 statement on the issue made during a
political debate in Massachusetts.
“I support the right of the Boy
Scouts of America to decide what it wants to do on that issue,”
Romney said at the time. “I feel that all people should be able to
participate in the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual
orientation.”
Last month, the Boy
Scouts reaffirmed its policy of excluding gay members, saying it
was the “best policy” for the organization.
“The real people impacted by this ban
are gay young adults who are forced to hide who they are as well as
the children of gay parents who are denied an opportunity to
participate their children's lives,” said
GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. “By standing behind this
ban, the Boy Scouts of America are contributing to a climate that
promotes the bullying of gay young people and putting parents in a
place where they are forced to explain to their children why some
scouts and hard-working scout leaders are not welcomed in the
organization. Discrimination is not a value that should be
associated with scouting.”