Disney Pulls Funding for Boy Scouts Over Anti-Gay Policies

Disney is dumping the Boy Scouts.

According to the Associated Press, Disney will stop funding the Boy Scouts by 2015, reportedly over the organization’s anti-gay policies. The Boy Scouts, despite lifting a ban on gay youth members, do not allow gay adult leaders and that has apparently caused Disney to reconsider its support:

The Boy Scouts organization is “disappointed” by the decision, which
will affect the organization’s ability to serve children, Deron Smith, a
Boy Scouts spokesman, said in a statement Sunday. Disney does not
provide direct funding to the Boy Scouts, but it donates money to some
troops in exchange for volunteer hours completed by Disney employees, he
said. “We believe every child deserves the opportunity to be a
part of the Scouting experience and we are disappointed in this decision
because it will impact our ability to serve kids,” he said.

The news was discovered when the president of a local Orlando-based troop sent out a memo to other local troops, making them aware of the decision. In a memo obtained by Scouts for Equality, Central Florida Council Board President Robert Utsey responded to the move (emphasis mine):

We recognize that many Scout Units have received financial support over
the last several years from this grant opportunity and are sad to see it
go. The National BSA Council has reached out to [Walt Disney World] to
try to resolve the situation, however, according to WDW, their views do
not currently align with the BSA and they are choosing to discontinue
this level of support.”

A spokesperson for The Walt Disney Company did not respond to requests for a comment.