A sign for the National Office outside the Boy Scouts...

A sign for the National Office outside the Boy Scouts of America Headquarters in Texas. (Getty) Credit: A sign for the National Office outside the Boy Scouts of America Headquarters in Texas. (Getty)

The Boy Scouts of America Wednesday delayed until May a vote on whether to end a controversial ban on gay members, drawing praise and rebukes from the two sides of a heated debate that has drawn in politicians as well as parents.

Board members for the youth organization, which turns 103 Friday, had been expected to vote on the matter at a meeting yesterday. The Boy Scouts upheld the ban just last year amid sharp criticism from gay rights groups.

The national executive board, which lists more than 70 members, has been meeting privately since Monday near Boy Scouts headquarters in Irving, Texas.

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