NYT calls Boy Scouts' new stance on gay admission 'unprincipled

The Boy Scouts of America announced Monday that it was on track to eliminate its national discriminatory policy against gay members and leaders. It would leave it up to local chapters to deal with policy instead.

It's a decision that "falls far short" for the New York Times:

[T]he change the organization is contemplating falls far short of the clear and strong renunciation of antigay bigotry that is called for. It said it would no longer “dictate” an antigay policy to local scouting groups, but would let them decide whether to permit participation by openly gay people.

In other words, whether to persist in barring gay youngsters and their families would become a local option: an unprincipled position that would continue to send a message that discrimination is perfectly acceptable even if it is no longer mandatory under national Boy Scouts rules.