The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced on May 11 that, after more than a century of association, it would be cutting substantial ties with the Boy Scouts of America. In a letter to General Authorities, the First Presidency voiced that “As part of the Church’s ongoing effort to evaluate and improve its service to families and young people worldwide, the Church will no longer charter Varsity or Venturing units with the Boy Scouts of America and Scouts Canada effective January 1, 2018.”

According to the letter, young Mormon men ages 14-18 will instead participate in a Young Men Activities program to assist in “Building young men with strong testimonies in the Lord Jesus Christ, helping them magnify their priesthood duties, and preparing them to fulfill their divine roles as righteous husbands and fathers.”

The departure comes at a time when the Boy Scouts organization has made significant policy adjustments and clarifications aimed at protecting the rights of gay and transgender individuals. In 2015, the Boys Scouts of America’s National Executive Board voted to end the ban on gay adult leaders, something that did not go unnoticed by church leaders. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is deeply troubled by today’s vote,” the church said in a statement. “The Church has always welcomed all boys to its Scouting units regardless of sexual orientation. However, the admission of openly gay leaders is inconsistent with the doctrines of the Church and what have traditionally been the values of the Boys Scouts of America.” The statement continued that the church would be “re-evaluating” its relationship with the Boy Scouts.

In January 2017, the Boy Scouts announced it would accept transgender boys into its boys-only programs. Soon after, the church released a statement hinting that it would be making adjustments to its youth programs.

The church specifically addressed whether Boy Scout policy changes played a role in the church’s decision to cut some ties. “The BSA has always allowed for the Church to operate its programs in ways that are consistent with our standards and beliefs, and they have been very supportive,” the church said in a news release. “This change is to address the needs of young men ages 14 to 18. The Church is always evaluating what is best for our youth and families, and will continue to do so.”

Why the disassociation, then? Charles Dahlquist, National Commissioner for the Boy Scouts of America, told Fox 13 the church has historically had difficulty implementing successful Varsity and Venture Scouting programs. He said they failed to provide young men with the drive, skills or inspiration that such programs intend to. “For decades it has been considered optional,” said Dahlquist, who is the former President of the Church’s Young Men’s organization. “It just hasn’t caught on there.”

Whatever the reason the church decided to cut ties with the Boy Scouts, the fact remains that the highest officials in the church have repeatedly demonstrated hostility and animosity towards gay and transgender-friendly policies. For an institution that prides itself in its generosity, benevolence and open-heartedness, this is upsetting.

The Boy Scout’s policy change came after Joe Maldonado, an eight-year-old transgender boy from New Jersey, was told he did “not meet the eligibility requirements to participate” in the Boy Scouts. Maldonado said in an interview with CNN he “felt very upset but then very angry because it’s just not fair that because I was born a girl they won’t let me in.” Not allowing transgender boys in the Boy Scouts is to deny the legitimacy of that person’s gender identity. The Boy Scouts realized this was wrong, and made the right move explicitly including transgender boys in the program. Similarly, allowing gay and lesbian adults to work with the organization is a human rights accomplishment.

While church officials view these policies unfavorably and as inconsistent with the teachings and values of the church, this is not necessarily the case. One church member from Salt Lake City told Fox News he thought the church broke away to become a more “inclusive church worldwide. If our Boy Scouts is only for boys in America, what are we doing for the rest of the world?” If church officials agree that inclusivity should be a defining trait of the Young Men Activities program, then they should allow and embrace transgender and gay young men, as well as adult leaders.

A noticeable conflict with such inclusion is that the church views gender as “an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose,” as stated in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Doctrinal changes, revisions and amendments are nothing new to the LDS church, however. For decades, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has struggled against the grain of historical movements towards civil and social equality. Until 1978, more than 10 years after Martin Luther King, Jr. led a march from Selma to Montgomery, Black men were seen as inherently unworthy of receiving the blessings of the priesthood.

If history can predict anything, it is that the church will have to, at some point, respond to the relentless demands of social progress and resolute strides towards the fair and equal treatment of everyone. It can begin doing so by giving gay and transgender boys and men an active role in Young Men Activities.

[email protected]