In the case of Boy Scouts of America et al v. Dale in 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts could refuse membership to people who identify as gay.

The plaintiff in the case was James Dale, who began scouting when he was eight years old. By the time he entered Rutgers University, he was an Eagle Scout and an Assistant Scout Master.

After a two-year review, the Boy Scouts reaffirmed the ban on July 17, 2012.