I think the anti homosexual policy is gone, but the BSA is so loosely controlled, if some scoutmaster somewhere is a homophobe, then no homosexuals will likely be in that troop.
I used to be a Boy Scout, so I have a general understanding of the politics of it. The BSA may have official policies on things, but it doesn't have a whole lot of control over each troop.
Alot of the anti homosexual sentiment will come from the other scouts themselves. Seeing as you can be as like ten or in fifth grade to be a boy scout, theres alot of immature behavior. Kids are going to make fun of any kid that doesn't follow their idea of normal.
But the policy itself is terrible, it encourages closet homosexuality, which is not good for any developing child.
Not sure about your comment about encouraging closet Homosexuality in kids. Why should kids unsure of their sexual identify not keep that question from others. Some kids waver on the brink of their new found sexuality, Hell these are kids whose hormones have kicked in and have no idea what to do about sudden urges that they have never felt before.
Whole new life for a male or female when their body's go on a rampage of hormones and make the kids scared of what is happening to them.
This is a time when the youth grow hair on their private parts, girls begin to develop boobs and shave their legs. Their childhood is past, and now these kids are going into uncharted territory. Who is to help them, not their fathers for girls and the boys cannot go to their mothers .
Kids get their sex education on the street, they talk with others and have to learn that way. For a young man that is all so confused this may mark him as gay or at least very strange. The boy may be picked on or even bullied at home from a father that expect his son to be a man but never took the time to tell his son what a REAL man is.
Scout Leaders have no business getting into this sex thing as they have to except each kid as they get them. If they try speaking to a Scout about sex, they loose their job. Heck of a problem for the Scout Leaders, they see a kid that needs to have help but have to ignore them.
The number of parents that refuse to discuss sex with their children is amazing, mostly because of their own ignorance on the subject. You can just imagine being a 30 year old man with a wife at work and your 12 year old daughter comes to you upset as she has blood in her pants. What do any man do, ----tell her to wait until her mother comes home and ask her.
A 15 year old boy comes to his mother and tells her there is something wrong with his dick, he cannot pee and the color of it is blue. Will that mother LOOK at the problem or take him into emergency without any idea what the problem is.?
Lots to think about here on kids that go over night from a child to a sexual being. How do expect outsiders to take on the job we parents should be doing but because of our own hang ups refuse to do.?
Then if one teacher or Scout Master tries to help the kid , you sue them or have them arrested.
