TheBoyScoutsofAmericaHasItBackwardsByupholdingtheirbanongaymembersandleaders,aretheymistakenlyconfusinghomosexualitywithpedophilia?ByHYPERLINK"http://ideas.time.com/contributor/lawrence-j-cohen-and-anthony-t-debenedet-m-d/"\o"ViewallpostsbyLawrenceJ.CohenandAnthonyT.DeBenedet,M.D."LAWRENCEJ.COHENANDANTHONYT.DEBENEDET,M.D.|August9,2012|HYPERLINK"http://ideas.time.com/2012/08/09/why-the-boy-scouts-of-america-has-it-backwards/"\l"disqus_thread"96HYPERLINK"http://twitter.com/share"TweetHYPERLINK"javascript:void(0);"inShare2STONESUB/GETTYIMAGESCohenandDeBenedetco-authoredTheArtofRoughhousing:GoodOld-FashionedHorseplayandWhyEveryKidNeedsIt.TheBoyScoutsofAmerica(BSA)recentlyHYPERLINK"http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/18/us/boy-scouts-reaffirm-ban-on-gay-members.html"announcedthat,afteratwo-yearreview,theywerestickingtotheirlong-standingpolicyofexcludingopenlygayyouthandadultsasmembersandleaders.(ThisisinstarkcontrasttotheGirlScouts,whohavenoexclusionarymembershippoliciesaroundsexualpreference.)Meanwhile,theLosAngelesTimesbrokeanextremelytroublingHYPERLINK"http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-boyscouts-20120805-m,0,5822319.story"storyabouttheBSA’sfailuretopreventsomeknownandsuspectedsexualpredatorsfrombeingscoutleadersorvolunteers,despiteanawarenessoftheirabusivebehavior.Examiningrecentlyreleasedfilesfrom1970to1991,theTimesfound“morethan125casesacrossthecountryinwhichmenallegedlycontinuedtomolestScoutsaftertheorganizationwasfirstpresentedwithdetailedallegationsofabusivebehavior.”Someoftheserepeatoffenseswereattributedto“clericalerrors,computerglitchesortheScouts’failuretochecktheirown“HYPERLINK"http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/15/us/court-approves-release-of-boy-scouts-perversion-files.html"perversionfiles,”aconfidentialblacklistdesignedtoidentifypotentialpredators.ButtheBSAalsochronicallyfailedtoreportcomplaintsofabusetolawenforcementorchildprotectiveservices.(MORE:HYPERLINK"http://ideas.time.com/2012/07/17/penn-state-cover-up-group-think-in