Buzzfeed reported that a contingent composed of former and active members of the Boy Scouts of America led thousands Sunday in the 44th Annual Pride Parade in New York City. The Boy Scouts' presence in the parade was considered a historic move to celebrate the organization's strikedown of an existing ban on outed gay adult members and inclusion of out gay youth.
The group, who were decked in uniforms, presented the American flag and acted as the color guard of the parade, the viral news site said. The Boy Scouts marshaled over 14,000 parade participants through Manhattan.
Brooklyn-based Cub Scouts leader Crystal Bueno recalled the Boy Scouts' service in the march as "emotional and bittersweet."
At a press conference ahead of the parade, Bueno said, "Just this year on Jan. 1, the Boy Scouts of America lifted their ban on membership for gay youth. For that, we march in celebration that gay youth are finally welcome to be part of the wonderful American tradition of scouting; however, the Boy Scouts of America still holds a membership policy that bans LGBT adults from serving as volunteers."
The current BSA policy states that the organization allows out gay youth to serve until they have reached 18 years of age, of which by then theu are forced out and barred from volunteering, Buzzfeed said. Bueno questions why she is more qualified to serve as a scout leader when there are more equally credible leaders who just happened to be gay.
One of the group's members in the parade is 88 year-old David Knapp, whom he claimed was forced out of BSA over 20 years ago when he was outed out as gay while serving as a volunteer officer.
He told Buzzfeed about his participation in the parade, "To be at the front and to be given this honor is just fantastic. [Boy Scouts have] already removed half of the barrier, which is wonderful, but obviously they need to remove the barrier from 18 and up so that I can join again."
