37. Boy Scouts Recognize Gay Boys as Equal

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/boy-scouts-recognize-gay-boys-as-equal/276186/

In an article for The Atlantic, James Hamblin wrote on May 23rd about Boy Scouts’ acceptance of gay boys. He opens up by stating what opposition has said about the issue and then gives some information about the circumstances in which the voting to approve the resolution occurred. Although the author says that the resolution was passed because of outside pressure, he supports the decision since the boy scouts is “a massive organization that professes values of a good, moral life” and should not distance itself from such a minority group. Hamblin says that the boy scouts do not accept gay adults, but points out that “it will only be a matter of time before adoption of this policy leads to integration of gay adult leaders.”

James Hamblin’s purpose in writing this article is to inform his readers about the acceptance of gay boys in the boy scouts, but he also wants to persuade them to believe that it was a good decision. The article is effective in presenting information since it uses quotes and details, but it does not do a good job in persuading his audience to reflect on how the resolution won’t inject “hypersexuality and gay activism into a youth organization” as said in the beginning of the article. It does not present a lot of convincing evidence to support this claim and some parts of the article are a little confusing to understand. However, the overall tone and style employed is still effective to convey the author’s position in the situation.