Texas Gov. Rick Perry told a gathering of boy scouts Saturday that he opposed lifting its ban on gay members and scout leaders, the Associated Press reports. The Boy Scouts of America announced in January that the group is considering lifting its ban nationally.
“Scouting is about teaching a substantial amount of life lessons,” he told the gathering of hundreds of scouts in Austin, Texas. “Sexuality is not one of them. It never has been; it doesn’t need to be.”
“Hopefully the board will follow their historic position of keeping the Scouts strongly supportive of the values that make Scouting this very important and impactful organization,” Perry told reporters after his address.
This isn’t the first time Perry has weighed in on the Boy Scouts’ controversial policy:
Perry is an Eagle Scout and in 2008 he authored the book “On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts Are Worth Fighting For.” It detailed the governor’s deep love for the organization and explained why it should continue to embrace traditional, conservative values — including excluding openly gay members and Scout leaders.
