Fantastic!
Looks like the Mayor has come to his senses. A constitutional argument is absolutely the way to look at it. The whole idea was because the BSA does not allow queers to enlist in their club, was the reason the liberal city council was going to deny their use of city property. The US Supreme Court has ruled they are well within their rights to deny anyone they wish. The argument by the city was that they were discriminating against gays. Our constitution gives us that right in a private sector club. Constitutionally they cannot deny access!
It still amazes me this was a problem in the first place. How is it the liberals can stoop so low as to use children to advance there cause. They should be ashamed, but I doubt you will ever see a friggin liberal admit to unscrupulous tactics.
1) Its policies tend to isolate young gays and atheists and damage their self-esteem when they are excluded from activities their heterosexual peers are allowed to engage in. This encourages the relatively higher rate of suicide among gay youth.
When we discuss self-esteem in the Scouting context, I tell Scouts that self-esteem is built on what you do, not what you are. Certainly everyone is due basic respect. But if you want esteem and respect from me, earn it. Study as hard as you are able. Build some skills that are of value to yourself and your community. Think of someone other than yourself and contribute to your family, school, Troop, team, and community without expectation of reward or compensation ("Do a Good Turn Daily"). They you'll have my respect, that of others, and of yourself.
Your sexuality is only one part of who you are. It's important, certainly. But in this sex-drenched culture of ours, we should be stressing to kids that sex should be a minor part of what you base your self image on. Of course, we could also teach them that a same-sex orientation is something that you should do something about, but that's certainly anathema to the crowd that thinks that homosexuality should be equated with race and religion.
2) Its policies teach it's members to be anti-homosexual and anti-atheist; it teaches them to be intolerant.
Of course, that depends on how you define the word "tolerant". The BSA teaches Scouts (specificially, in it's definition of "reverent", the 12th point of the Scout Law) that you have to respect the rights of people to believe and act differently, even if you yourself don't accept those beliefs as true or those actions as correct. However, you are not required to imitate such actions or choose to associate with such individuals. It's opponents seem to me, anyway, to define the word "tolerant" as accepting all beliefs and value systems as equivalent, and that "toleration" includes associating with such people.
The opponents of the B.S.A. see it as central to American culture. Getting it to accept homosexuals as leaders and members moves acceptance of homosexuality to become a central American value. Accepting the BSA as a group of people who have a right to do what they want and that have a legitimate claim to a central civic position and support from civic institutions will give room in central American culture to the concept of non-acceptance of homosexuality and atheism, and they have to fight that to destruction.