BOY SCOUTS UPHOLDS BAN ON GAYS AFTER CONFIDENTIAL TWO-YEAR REVIEW

The Boy Scouts of America has upheld its ban on gays after a "confidential two-year review" and says it will stand strong in the face of protest, the AP reports:

An 11-member special committee, formed discreetly by top Scout leaders in 2010, "came to the conclusion that this policy is absolutely the best policy for the Boy Scouts," the organization' national spokesman, Deron Smith, told The Associated Press.

Smith said the committee, comprised of professional scout executives and adult volunteers, was unanimous in its conclusion — preserving a long-standing policy that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000 and has remained controversial ever since.

As a result of the committee's decision, the Scouts' national executive board will take no further action on a recently submitted resolution asking for reconsideration of the membership policy.