The Boy Scouts of America on Wednesday delayed until May a decision on whether to end the group's ban on gay members, after a planned vote exposed rifts that threatened to break apart the nearly 103-year-old group.

The delay extends a longtime internal dispute that has intensified in the last six months at the group, which has nearly 2.7 million youth members. Recently, top Scouts leadership had decided it was time to end the national ban and let local groups decide for themselves whether to admit gays.

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