On Thursday (23 May), the 1,400-member National Council of the Boy Scouts of America meeting in Grapevine, Texas, is to vote on whether to end its ban on gay members.

In advance of the vote, the organization’s president, Wayne Perry, has come out publicly in favor of allowing scouts to be openly gay saying it is the ‘right decision’ for the group.

‘The change to the Boy Scouts of America’s membership policy is not the result of pressure from outside; it is the result of extensive dialogue within the Scouting family,’ Perry writes in column for USA Today.

‘Parents, adults in the Scouting community and teens alike tend to agree that youth should not be denied the benefits of Scouting,’ he adds. ‘The resolution is not about adults; it is about what is best for young people.’

Perry also addresses the fact that the proposed policy change does not extend to adult gay and lesbian leaders age 18 and over.

‘While some people wish the proposed resolution would go further, it was clear from our listening phase that changing adult standards would have conflicted with the majority of our partners, 70% of which are religious organizations, and would have disrupted our ability to deliver scouting,’ he writes.

The three-day meeting annual meeting began on Wednesday (22 May)