Lawyers Urge Philly Scouts to Challenge Ban

Lawyers for the city of Philadelphia urged a local chapter of the Boy Scouts to confront the national organization about its antigay policy Tuesday in opening statements at a trial over public funding.

According to the Associated Press, "The city of Philadelphia wants to end its $1-a-year lease to the local Boy Scouts chapter unless it rejects a Boy Scouts of America policy banning 'avowed' gays. The city says the national rule violates a local law banning discrimination on sexual-orientation and other grounds."

However, the local Boy Scout chapter, called the Cradle of Liberty Council, accuses the city of applying its nondiscrimination law selectively, for instance, by letting other groups with restrictive membership policies, such as a Roman Catholic parish, lease space in city buildings at a subsidized rate.