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Actually, most Scouting organizations around the world are co-ed at all levels. The notable exceptions are the BSA and many (but not all) of those countries where The Religion of Peace^TM is the official state religion.

This last summer I had the pleasure and privilege of being a guest in Japan for 2 weeks where I participated in a number of different activities with Venture Scouts (ages 14 - 21, co-ed) from Japan and all over the Asia/Pacific Rim region, about 25 different countries. They were co-ed and it seemed to suit everyone there fine. At that age level, co-ed seems to work out well; even here in the U.S., Venture Scouts are co-ed. And the type of high-adventure activities that the units engage in keep the fussy and overly-feminized types out of the program. Now, I'm not sure that in American culture having 8 to 13 year-olds in a co-ed program would work out as well, I'll admit. But they do it in Australia and New Zealand.

I don't know what you refer to in the U.S. as far as "the lessening of rules concerning gays." Seems to me that the rules haven't changed at all.

I'm talking, I guess, about how the gay lifestyle is being promoted and accepted. Books for young children promoting the gay lifestyle are found in school and local libraries, TV shows promote it. Gay marriage is next on the docket and already is a fact in MA. Now gays can openly become leaders in the UK. It's a bit scary for parents and grandparents these days, trying to raise kids with good moral values.