Anonymous Boy Scouts Employee Says Antigay Policy Hurts Business

With the Boy Scouts of America set to vote on Thursday over whether it can allow openly gay scouts, several op-eds on the subject are getting attention.

Time magazine shared one with a byline that says only "An Employee of the Boy Scouts of America."

"I am a full-time paid professional employee of the Boy Scouts of America. I am also gay," says the anonymous writer, who is an Eagle Scout and a member of Scouting's Honor Society.

The author claims that "there are dozens of other gay professionals like me in the Scouts" and "we live with apprehension, hiding our personal lives and not knowing if we could be outed and fired at any moment."

The ban on gay scouts is not only wrong, the employee writes, but it's also bad for business. "Many organizations" have refused to partner with the Scouts over the policy, the writer says.

Another op-ed, in USA Today, has Brad Tilden, president of the Chief Seattle Council, agrees that the ban is "harming the Boy Scouts' ability to carry out our mission."

"It's hurting membership growth, corporate support and the Boy Scouts' reputation," he wrote. "Most important, it's hurting the youth who are unable to participate, and those who do participate but are being taught that it's OK to discriminate."

When the 1,400 representatives on the national council vote Thursday, it is expected to be only on whether to admit openly gay troops. The policy of banning openly gay troop leaders and staff would continue to stand.