The Boy Scouts of America will begin allowing openly gay members to be a part of the organization beginning next year.

The BSA's approximately 1,400-member National Council on Thursday (23 May) met in Grapevine, Texas and 61.4% voted to pass the new membership standards.

The new standards state that 'no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.'

But a ban on LGBT adult leaders and volunteers will remain in place without any further review planned.

While we know the Boy Scouts of America do not accept gay people in their ranks, have you ever wondered what would happen if someone came out?

Wonder no more, as a 19-year-old prominent and committed member of the Boy Scouts secretly filmed his coming out to his troop leader.

The video comes as the Boy Scouts of America’s National Council will consider reversing its long-standing ban on openly gay youth, and whether to keep its ban on gay troop leaders today (23 May).

A new poll reveals a majority of Americans are fine with gay Boy Scouts members.

According to a new poll published today by American news sources The Washington Post and ABC News, 63% of Americans interviewed said gay scouts should be allowed to join.

56% of those interviewed also opposed the ban on gay adults in the Boy Scouts.

The Mormon Church has come out in support of the Boy Scouts of America lifting its longtime ban on gay members.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also endorses the part of the proposal that continues to ban gays and lesbians once they become adults and want to transition to leadership roles in the organization.

The church sponsors more Boy Scout troops than any other religious organization.

The Boy Scouts of America is set to ask members to lift the long-standing ban on gay members.

The organization’s board will still have to vote on the plan in May, however. And it is only lifting the ban on gay youth members, not adult leaders.

The recommendation will be put to the 1,400 members at the National Council meeting in Texas starting in the week of 20 May. It comes after years of protest and three months of research, surveys and discussions.

The New Normal, the NBC comedy about a gay couple starting a family, is airing an episode this week (26 March) that focuses on the Boy Scouts of America's ban on gay members and leaders.

The episode has the character of David, a gay physician  played by Justin Bartha, volunteering to help out a friend by chaperoning an overnight scouts camping trip.

He agrees to participate despite the concern his TV executive hubby Bryan (Andrew Rannells) who is concerned about the BSA's anti-gay ban.

Less than two weeks after cancelling a gig with the Boy Scouts of America because of their anti-gay policies, singer Carly Rae Jepsen has booked one of the gayest gigs in America: White Party.

Jepsen, of Call Me Maybe fame, will headline White Party T-Dance on 31 March in Palm Springs, California.

The White party is one of a number of parties held annually and its name comes from the requirement that party-goers dress in all or almost all white. Past headliners include Lady Gaga, Mary J Blige, Robyn, ke$ha and Jennifer Lopez.

The Grammy winning band Train has given the Boy Scouts of America an ultimatum: drop your ban on gays or we won't perform at your annual national event.

The band, which has shown support for the LGBT community in the past. was scheduled to perform at Boy Scouts 2013 National Scout Jamboree as the closing night act.

'When we booked this show for the Boy Scouts of America we were not aware of any policy barring openly gay people from participation within the organization,' the band said in a statement.

As the Boy Scouts of America continues to mull over whether to drop its ban on gays, one of its former members has decided to try and put a financial squeeze on the group.

Former scout Eddie Kurtz launched a petition drive this week urging the California legislature to pass a bill that would strip the BSA of its tax breaks because of its discriminatory policy.

A prominent conservative African American broadcaster and political appointee has said that all Christian churches must drop support for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) if they let openly gay people participate in the organization.

The national board of the Boy Scouts of America is meeting this week to decide whether or not to approve a policy change that would allow openly gay people to participate in scouting.

To mark the occasion, a group of activists converged upon BSA headquarters in Dallas, Texas, Monday (4 February) to deliver petitions with 1.4 million signatures to encourage them to end the gay ban.