ACLU to Appeal Ruling Letting Scouts Bar Gay

The American Civil Liberties Union Wednesday vowed to appeal a judge’s ruling that allows the Boy Scouts of America to bar a man from becoming a Scout leader because he is gay.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Sally G. Disco ruled Tuesday that compelling the Scouts to accept an acknowledged homosexual as a troop leader would violate the organization’s 1st Amendment right to express its belief that homosexuality is immoral. The case was filed 11 years ago by Timothy Curran, a 29-year-old ex-Eagle Scout who was told he could not head a troop in Northern California because he is gay.

The ACLU will appeal the decision because of the broad issues involved, said Jon Davidson, an ACLU senior staff counsel who represented Curran. “It’s a frightening decision for the children who are part of the Boy Scouts,” he said. “I think it’s crazy to accept that part of being a Boy Scout is being anti-gay.”