Treasure Valley Charity Will Support Scouts

The United Way of Treasure Valley will continue to fund the Boy Scouts even though the group can exclude gays.

Local United Way leaders say that decision has not hurt donations.

And a local Boy Scouts executive says the controversy has increased, rather than hurt, support for the organization.

United Way groups around the country have withdrawn funding from the Boy Scouts since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that the youth organization can bar homosexuals from leading troops. In some communities, United Way chapters that have continued to fund the Scouts have lost the support of businesses.

But United Way of Treasure Valley Chairman Dan Stevens emphasized that the ruling determined the organization has the right to select leadership based on sexual preference but does not broach the subject of sexual preference of the youths.

Stevens said there were mixed views on the subject during discussions with corporate partners, but no local companies have withdrawn their support as a result of the policy.