Gov. Rick Perry today issued the following statement regarding the vote to admit openly gay Boy Scouts:

The Boys Scouts of America has been built upon the values of faith and family for more than 100 years and today’s decision contradicts generations of tradition in the name of political correctness. While I will always cherish my time as a scout and the life lessons I learned, I am greatly disappointed with this decision.

Touting the Boy Scouts’ “landmark” and “historic” decision to allow openly-gay members, CBS, ABC, and NBC gave supporters of the decision three times as many quotes as their opponents got on Friday morning’s news stories.

The networks gave 10 soundbites to supporters of the new Scouts policy and only three to its opponents. Supporters included President Obama, gay scout Pascal Tessier, and former den leader Jennifer Tyrell.

Calling it a “major milestone,” NBC’s Craig Melvin didn’t even acknowledge the opposition to the policy at first, pointing only to its supporters and those who believe it didn’t go far enough…

Look, we all know the next move here. Ultimately there will be gay Boy Scout leaders. Gay youth coupled with gay scout leaders is eventually going to lead to programs and merit badges aimed at satisfying the homosexual community. Maybe you can earn the “Diversity” merit badge? How about the “Inclusion” merit badge? Or how about a new “Homosexuality” merit badge (whatever that might entail)?…

This may be the beginning of the end for the Boy Scouts. Already we are seeing an effort to start a new type of Boy Scouts organization. A group called, “On My Honor,” made up of concerned parents and scout leaders who are against inclusion of gays into the Boy Scouts is going to meet privately next month in Louisville, Kentucky where they will discuss creating a, “new character development organization for boys.”…

I’m sure many people will say that this is a new day in America and that conservative Christians have to get with the program and stop living in their insular conservative 1950’s Bible world. And I’m sure those same people will say that if the homophobic Christians don’t like the new policy then good riddance! Well you know what? Plenty of conservative Christians are about to say adios to the Boy Scouts and it could very well leave one of America’s most cherished organizations wondering what in the world they have just done.

As an Eagle Scout, I have absolutely zero problem with the Boy Scouts of America explicitly allowing all boys to be Boy Scouts. It was surprising to hear that it was any other way before because regardless of what the official policy might have been, I can’t remember a single time a boy was kept out of my troop because he was gay, or heard about it happening elsewhere. At a minimum, that policy had been largely vacated by local practices, at least in my experience. But in any case and as it was before this formal change in policy, the BSA remains one of the great youth leadership and service organizations this country has to offer. If you have a boy, you should seriously consider introducing him to the Scouts.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins made the following comments:

“Sadly, the Boy Scouts’ legacy of producing great leaders has become yet another casualty of moral compromise. Unfortunately, Boy Scout delegates capitulated to strong-arm tactics and abandoned the timeless values that have served the organization well for more than 100 years…

“It is clear that the current BSA leadership will bend with the winds of popular culture, and the whims of liberal special interest groups. There is little doubt that God will soon be ushered out of scouting. Now is the time for new leadership. In the meantime, we will stand with those BSA Councils who will now act to protect boys from a new policy that only creates moral confusion and disrespects the views of the vast majority of Scouting parents,” concluded Perkins.

The Secular Coalition for America today said the Boy Scouts’ recent decision to allow openly gay boys is a positive step in the right direction, but does not go far enough. The SCA expressed disappointment that the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has decided to continue its policy of discrimination against atheists and gay Scout leaders…

Edwina Rogers, executive director of the Secular Coalition for America said the Coalition is pleased that the Scouts have decided to allow openly gay youth, but that it’s not enough.

“Discrimination is wrong — whether it’s directed at children or adults, atheists or the religious,” Rogers said. “We will continue to encourage the Scouts to address the full range of discrimination against atheists and LGBT adults…

“No organization that discriminates on the basis of religion or religious beliefs should receive federal support,” Rogers said. “We look forward to a time when the Boy Scouts will be a completely inclusive organization that does not discriminate at all based on religious belief or sexual orientation.”

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WALLACE: Knock yourself out. I’m done.
GALLAGHER: You’re an idiot. You’re totally an idiot. You’re so wrong on this one.
WALLACE: You’re so bigoted.
GALLAGHER: Oh, I’m bigoted? I’m the least homophobic guy on the radio. This is not anti-gay. And I understand people want inclusion. I don’t like discrimination. I don’t the way a lot of people react to gays and lesbians in this country. I really don’t. I think a lot of my Christian brothers and sisters get more fired about gays than they do about adultery or pornography or marital infidelity. But my gosh — the scouts are going to get destroyed by this.
WALLACE: Oh, baloney! Wait a minute, you know — that’s like, has the military been destroyed by ‘don’t ask, don’t tell?’
GALLAGHER: We’re not talking about minor children in the military.