[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by molson

Sure, the concern isn't because they're gay, it's because they're men, which is a much bigger risk factor than anything else for criminal sexual behavior (notwithstanding the popular FOFC thread highlighting the much rarer female molester). And I'm not talking about pedophiles here, I'm talking about the younger guy who's looking to bang someone within in the vicinity of his age, but below the age of consent. We're wary of young men targeting older teen girls in that way, and I think there's various societal and cultural ways we limit that risk, so why wouldn't we be wary of young gay men targeting older gay teen boys in the same way? Things like camping trips is where I can see those issues come up.

The danger scenario you envision still exists today. There's nothing stopping a pedophile from doing something, whether the Boy Scouts allow gays or not. Most pedophiles do not identify as gay and social scientists have largely concluded that pedophilia is a distinct sexual orientation from homosexuality. If I had a son in the Boy Scouts, I wouldn't trust him any more with a straight scoutmaster than I would a gay one.