Obama: Drop Gay Ban, Boy Scouts

President Obama on Sunday urged the Boy Scouts to drop their ban on gay members, saying that “nobody should be barred” from the organization. The Boy Scouts of America is expected to vote this week on whether or not to end the national ban on admitting gay members and scout masters—a ban that the organization had reinforced only seven months ago. Ending the ban has caused intense debate among current and former scouts, with Texas Gov. Rick Perry saying on Saturday that the ban should stay in place. Perry, the author of the 2008 book On My Honor: Why American Values of the Boy Scouts Are Worth Fighting For and an Eagle Scout, said the organization should not be swayed by “popular culture.”