The Boy Scouts of America’s decision to allow openly gay kids to be members was blasted on Wednesday (12 June) at the Southern Baptist Convention in Houston, Texas.

The denomination at its annual meeting approved a resolution expressing its opposition to and disappointment to the change in policy and calls on the scouts to remove executive and board leaders who favored it without, according to the Associated Press.

The resolution states that opening Scouting to openly homosexual youth ‘has the potential to complicate basic understandings of male friendships, needlessly politicize human sexuality, and heighten sexual tensions within the Boy Scouts.’

The denomination cannot force churches to cut ties with scouts but the resolution gives support for those churches and families that decide to do so. It also encourages churches and families who choose to remain in the organization to work toward reversing the new anti-discrimination policy.