TAUNTON, Mass. (AP) — The Union Congregational Church, affiliated with the United Church of Christ, has voted to cancel the charter of its Boy Scout troop as of January, forcing the Scouts to find another sponsor and meeting place.
A local elementary school also severed official ties but is letting the Scouts continue to meet in the building. In both cases, the issue is the organization's ban on openly gay leaders.
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Boy Scouts' right to set its own standards for leaders. In response, numerous school boards, city councils, corporations and charities have cut support.