The Boy Scouts of America on Thursday voted at their annual meeting in Texas to allow openly gay youths to become members.
Openly gay youths can become scouts, although the organization will continue to bar gay adults from being Scout leaders.
"No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone," the approved resolution stated.
The new law goes into effect on January 1.
"The resolution also reinforces that Scouting is a youth program, and any sexual conduct, whether heterosexual or homosexual, by youth of scouting age is contrary to the virtues of scouting," the organization said in a statement.
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