[JURIST] The National Executive Board of Boy Scouts of America (BSA) [official website] on Monday voted [press release] to amend its leadership policy to effectively allow openly gay individuals to serve as leaders and employees of the organization. The organization clarified that adult leaders could still be chosen based on their religious beliefs, but indicated its commitment to prohibiting a policy that discriminates against gay adults. Seventy-nine percent of the executive board voted in favor of the resolution, which will be effective immediately.

BSA has come a long way in recognizing gay rights in recent years. In 2000, the Supreme Court held that BSA could expel a gay assistant counsel master, indicating that BSA had the right to do so because it was a private organization. In April 2012, a BSA scout’s mother was removed [abc news] from her son’s unit because she identified herself as a lesbian. In July 2012, BSA reaffirmed a then-ban on gay leaders and employees. BSA called for [NYT report] the end of its discriminatory policy in May 2015 in the midst of legal disputes.